Cambridge Police: 'No Criminal Activity' In Mosque Incident Involving Enes Kanter
CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – The Cambridge Police Department has determined there was "no criminal activity" in an incident at a mosque last week involving Enes Kanter. The Boston Celtics center had said he was threatened after a prayer service on Friday.
Kanter posted video to Twitter that shows multiple people standing outside the mosque. Police said in a statement Tuesday that those people "were exercising their constitutionally protected right to free speech."
The 27-year-old is an outspoken critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who he says has "undemocratic and dictator-like ways of leading." In 2017, Kanter's passport was revoked, and at one point he was a target of Turkish police while on a trip to Indonesia.
"Turkish Government doesn't even let me practice my religion freely in America let alone my freedom of speech is under attack," Kanter tweeted last week, tagging police and the FBI.
He told reporters at Celtics practice that two men "were screaming, they were yelling, they were cursing [in Turkish]." He said it's the first time he's experienced something like this in the U.S.
Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern retweeted the video and said he was "saddened to see this kind of behavior." He added the police commissioner was made aware of the situation and "if you need anything, my Office is here to help."
Police said they've told Kanter what he'd have to do to get a restraining order against the men if he wishes. The department is urging anyone who feels that they've been threatened or harassed because of their faith to contact police or organizations like the Anti-Defamation League.
Anyone with additional information about the incident involving Kanter can call police at 617-349-3300.
