BOSTON — A newly resurfaced Boston Police report shows that Mayor Michelle Wu’s office directly intervened to have a peaceful protester arrested at a city-sponsored event in 2022 — raising fresh questions about the administration’s respect for First Amendment rights.

The incident occurred during a “Coffee Hour” event at Ronan Park on June 10, 2022, where local activist Shawn Nelson used a handheld bullhorn to protest Mayor Wu’s policies. According to the report, Nelson’s protest was nonviolent and took place in a public park during a public event hosted by the city.

But what began as a routine demonstration escalated after a directive came from inside City Hall.

“A decision was relayed to Sgt. Golden and Captain Burns by Brianna Miller, from Mayor Wu’s Office, that Boston Police must seize the bullhorn or remove Mr. Nelson,” the police report states.

When officers moved in to take the bullhorn, Nelson held onto it and was arrested. He was charged with disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. The report makes no mention of any threats or violent behavior.

The only trigger for police action appears to be the volume of Nelson’s criticism — and the fact that City Hall wanted it stopped.

The 2022 arrest, largely overlooked until now, has resurfaced just as Nelson mounts a City Council run in District 7 — a seat previously held by Tania Fernandes Anderson, the corrupt Democrat who admitted to illegally taking cash in a City Hall bathroom and funneling public funds to her own relatives. Fernandes Anderson finally resigned on July 4th — after collecting a taxpayer-funded salary for months following the scandal.

At the time of the incident, Nelson had no official title. Today, he’s a candidate on the ballot — one who was once removed from a public event for speaking out against the mayor.

While the City of Boston frequently touts its commitment to free expression and civic engagement, the report shows Wu’s own staff directed police to suppress political speech at a taxpayer-funded event in a public space.

The arrest also comes in the shadow of another controversial decision made early in Wu’s term: a city ordinance restricting targeted residential protests outside private homes — a measure widely seen as a response to early-morning demonstrations outside Wu’s own Roslindale residence.

Together, the incidents point to a pattern: peaceful protest is tolerated in Boston — unless it’s aimed at the mayor.

Nelson’s arrest was never widely reported — until now.