Activist Neill Charged With Assault at State House
Massachusetts prosecutors have charged 78-year-old climate activist Donald "Monty" Neill with felony assault and battery after an April 27 protest.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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Massachusetts prosecutors charged Donald "Monty" Neill, 78, a member of Extinction Rebellion Boston, with felony assault and battery following an April 27 demonstration at the State House. The protest temporarily disrupted a budget debate over proposed billion-dollar cuts to the Mass Save Program.
Why it matters
The charges follow a protest staged against proposed budget cuts to Mass Save, a state energy-efficiency program. Neill denies shoving a State House police officer while being removed from the House gallery.
Neill faces one count each of assault and battery on a public employee, assault and battery on a person 60 or older or disabled, and trespassing and disorderly conduct. His trial is scheduled for December 2 at Boston Municipal Court.
The players
Donald "Monty" Neill
A 78-year-old climate activist and member of Extinction Rebellion Boston who has been arrested four times while participating in climate activism.
Extinction Rebellion Boston
The Boston chapter of the international climate activist network Extinction Rebellion, which uses nonviolent civil disobedience to press for action on climate change.
The details
Neill was removed from the House gallery during the April 27 protest, when two other activists repelled from ropes in Nurses Hall holding a banner reading "Even sloths would act faster on climate disaster." Two other activists arrested at the scene received misdemeanor charges, and their cases have been resolved.
Timeline
April 27: Protest at the State House disrupts budget debate; Neill is arrested.
December 2: Neill's trial is scheduled at Boston Municipal Court.
Legal Context
Brian Okum was acquitted of a felony charge in 2024 at Concord District Court and found guilty of a misdemeanor trespassing charge over a Hanscom Field protest. Neill's felony assault charges arise in a similar pattern of climate-protest prosecutions in the state.
Protests inside the State House can lead to arrests and felony-level charges for participants, even when they are elderly. Residents who follow budget debates in person should expect heightened enforcement during demonstrations.
The takeaway
Felony charges against protesters can follow even nonviolent disruptions of public proceedings, so the outcome of Neill's December 2 trial may shape how future State House demonstrations are handled.
Further reading
Follow the state budget fight over efficiency funding in our Legislative Policy coverage for Massachusetts.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Free Press.
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