Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 269 - Crimes Against Public Peace
Section 1 - Dispensing and Suppressing Unlawful Assembly; Arresting Persons

Section 1. If five or more persons, being armed with clubs or other dangerous weapons, or if ten or more persons, whether armed or not, are unlawfully, riotously or tumultuously assembled in a city or town, the mayor and each of the aldermen of such city, each of the selectmen of such town, every justice of the peace living in any such city or town, any member of the city, town, or state police and the sheriff of the county and his deputies shall go among the persons so assembled, or as near to them as may be with safety, and in the name of the commonwealth command all persons so assembled immediately and peaceably to disperse; and if they do not thereupon immediately and peaceably disperse, each of said magistrates and officers shall command the assistance of all persons there present in suppressing such riot or unlawful assembly and arresting such persons. For the purposes of this section, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst shall be considered to be a town.

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Structure Massachusetts General Laws

Massachusetts General Laws

Part IV - Crimes, Punishments and Proceedings in Criminal Cases

Title I - Crimes and Punishments

Chapter 269 - Crimes Against Public Peace

Section 1 - Dispensing and Suppressing Unlawful Assembly; Arresting Persons

Section 2 - Refusing or Neglecting to Depart or to Assist in Suppressing Assembly or in Arresting Persons

Section 3 - Neglect or Refusal to Exercise Authority to Suppress Assembly

Section 4 - Requiring Aid; Dispersing and Suppressing Assembly; Seizure of Persons

Section 5 - Armed Forces Obeying Orders for Suppressing Riot and Dispersing and Arresting Persons

Section 6 - Person Killed or Wounded as Result of an Assembly; Guilt and Responsibility

Section 7 - Injury to Building or Vessel by Persons Unlawfully Assembled

Section 8 - Destruction of or Damage to Property by Persons Riotously Assembled; Liability of Town

Section 10 - Carrying Dangerous Weapons; Possession of Machine Gun or Sawed-Off Shotguns; Possession of Large Capacity Weapon or Large Capacity Feeding Device; Punishment

Section 10a - Selling, Giving or Using Silencers; Confiscation and Destruction

Section 10c - Tear Gas; Use in Commission of Crimes

Section 10d - Body Armor; Use in Commission of Crime

Section 10e - Firearms Sales, Distributions or Transfers; Penalties; Eligibility for Probation, Parole, Furlough or Work Release

Section 10f - Illegal Sale, Gifts or Transfer of Large Capacity Weapons or Large Capacity Feeding Devices; Punishment

Section 10g - Violations of Sec. 10 by Persons Previously Convicted of Violent Crimes or Serious Drug Offenses; Punishment

Section 10h - Carrying Loaded Firearm While Under Influence of Liquor, Marijuana, Narcotic Drugs, Depressants, Stimulant or Toxic Vapor Substances; Punishment

Section 10i - Transporting Firearm, Rifle, Shotgun, Machine Gun or Sawed-Off Shotgun Into Commonwealth for Use in Commission of Criminal Activity or to Unlawfully Distribute, Sell or Transfer Possession to Prohibited Person; Penalty

Section 10j - Breaking and Entering Building, Ship, Vessel or Vehicle to Steal Firearm; Penalty

Section 10k - Breaking and Entering Building in Which Firearm Retailer, Wholesaler or Manufacturer Conducts Business; Unlawfully Obtaining or Distributing Firearm, Rifle, Shotgun, Machine Gun or Ammunition; Punishment

Section 11 - Printing Statutes for Posters; Display

Section 11a - Definitions

Section 11b - Possession or Control of Firearm With Serial or Identification Number Removed or Mutilated, While Committing or Attempting a Felony; Destruction

Section 11c - Removal or Mutilation of Serial or Identification Numbers of Firearms; Receiving Such Firearm; Destruction

Section 11e - Serial Identification Numbers on Firearms

Section 12 - Manufacturing and Selling Knives, Slung Shots, Swords, Bludgeons and Similar Weapons

Section 12a - Air Rifles; Sale to Minors

Section 12b - Air Rifles; Possession by Minors; Shooting

Section 12d - Rifle or Shotgun Loaded With Shells or Cartridges; Unloaded Rifle or Shotgun; Carrying on Public Way Prohibited; Exceptions; Punishment

Section 12e - Discharge of a Firearm Within 500 Feet of a Dwelling or Other Building in Use; Exceptions

Section 12f - Airport Secure Areas; Possession or Placement of a Cutting Device or Prohibited Weapon; Punishment

Section 13 - False Alarms of Fire

Section 13a - False Reports to Police Officers

Section 14 - Deadly Weapons, Explosives, Chemical or Biological Agents, or Other Deadly Device or Substance; Threatened Use or Presence; Threat to Hijack; Disruption of School, Public Building or Transport; Punishment; Restitution

Section 14a - Annoying Telephone Calls or Electronic Communication

Section 14b - Willful and Malicious Communication of False Information to Public Safety Answering Points; Penalty; Restitution

Section 15 - Stink Bombs; Sale

Section 16 - Arrowheads Used for Hunting; Sale

Section 17 - Hazing; Organizing or Participating; Hazing Defined

Section 18 - Failure to Report Hazing

Section 19 - Copy of Secs. 17 to 19; Issuance to Students and Student Groups, Teams and Organizations; Report