WORCESTER—Chants of “ICE out of Worcester now” echoed through Worcester City Hall on June 10 as protesters interrupted the city council meeting during the public comment portion of the evening.
The meeting had already begun late, delayed by a prior committee session that ran long. Before the disruption, one resident spoke about the recently added restrictions on public access to council meetings. The new limitations, the speaker said, have hindered residents’ ability to participate in their city’s operations.
Tuesday night marked the council’s first in-person meeting since May 6. A remote meeting was held via Zoom on May 13, amid fallout from the controversial May 8 incident on Eureka Street. In that incident, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained an allegedly undocumented woman. Worcester Police Department officers arrested her distraught daughter at the scene, drawing criticism for what some saw as WPD’s cooperation with ICE—potentially in conflict with a pending motion from the May 13 agenda.
Unconfirmed reports indicated that five councilors left the chamber shortly after protesters entered, and the meeting ended abruptly with no formal adjournment. Photos circulated on social media showed a heavy police presence both inside and outside City Hall.
The controversy surrounding the May 8 incident deepened after WPD filed criminal charges against Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, who was present during the ICE operation. She faces counts of assault and battery of a police officer and interfering with police. In a statement, Haxhiaj said she looks forward to fighting the case in court.
In a statement shared with the Worcester Guardian following Tuesday’s council meeting, Mayor Joseph Petty said he understood the demonstrators’ concerns.
“I share the frustrations expressed tonight at the city council meeting,” said Petty. “I feel that the Trump administration has created a hostile environment leaving people feeling powerless. Furthermore, the actions from ICE in detaining people who have not committed serious crimes, not offering them due process, is a detriment to our democracy.”
Petty said that demonstrating and causing the early adjournment of the city council disrupts the daily operations for the people within the city and only “prolongs issues” that people are already experiencing daily.
“In order for us to move forward and take collective action toward ensuring people’s rights are respected,” he continued, “we must work together and have respect for one another. Unfortunately, we were unable to do the people’s business tonight—we had over forty items on the agenda, and there were people in the audience who wished to speak on items that were important to them, but could not.”
City Manager Eric Batista also addressed the disruption in a statement released Wednesday, reaffirming the city’s policy on the use of City Hall and stating that the interior of the building is not a place for public assembly.
“Let me be clear: the City of Worcester respects the right to gather and protest peacefully, within the bounds of the law and appropriate venues. The interior of City Hall is not a place of public assembly and last night’s disruption was unacceptable,” Batista said.
He said police were dispatched after reports that a large group had assembled inside the Esther Howland Chamber, preventing the public meeting from proceeding. Protesters were cleared peacefully, but one individual was arrested for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and vandalizing property.
While the city’s policy on public assembly inside City Hall had not previously been widely distributed, Batista said it would now be publicly available and strictly enforced. “Any person found in non-compliance with the policy is subject to ejection and subject to arrest or other violations,” he said.
“I share in the public’s frustration of what is happening at the national level,” Batista added, “but we cannot allow that to divide us. Instead, we must find real ways to collectively support one another and those impacted while continuing to focus on the core services that municipal government is responsible for.”
Council member Kate Toomey later posted on her social media accounts, “Tonight, the business of the people of the City of Worcester was aborted again due to people egged on by several of my colleagues to address national issues. Mid testimony, one of our residents who was talking about an issue regarding homeless women, was unable to continue because of the rude interruption. It is an incredible disservice to the citizens of our city. If people want to protest ICE, they should go to the Federal Court House. I am attaching a post from my colleague [Thu Nguyen] who is too afraid to come to meetings, but can encourage violence and yet still get paid. We had to leave the building because no business could be done. Such a travesty.”
Steve Smith, a veteran reporter with 17 years at The Hartford Courant, now brings his passion for photojournalism to Worcester. An award-winning photographer, he has covered major events like U.S. soccer, pro football, and UConn basketball. He is also the official photographer for the Miss Massachusetts competition and works as a realtor. Contact him at steve@stevephotographysmith.com
