WORCESTER—In an unusual move that raises fresh questions amid ongoing public outrage, the city announced Monday evening that City Hall closes to the public at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13—just ahead of a scheduled protest over recent ICE-related arrests and the city’s response.
According to a brief statement from the city on Monday, the closure is due to “public safety concerns” and is being taken “out of an abundance of caution.”
The decision means that both the 5 p.m. budget hearing before the Standing Committee on Finance and the regular 6:30 p.m. Worcester City Council meeting now takes place virtually over Zoom.
While no item directly related to the ICE controversy appears on Tuesday’s agenda, the city has braced for strong public turnout. Organizers from Worcester Indivisible have planned a protest outside City Hall at 5:30 p.m., timed to coincide with the council meeting. The group cited what they describe as “brutal arrests” involving ICE and local police, including the arrest of a 16-year-old girl and Worcester school committee candidate Ashley Spring.
Walter Crockett, a board member of Worcester Indivisible and organizer of Tuesday’s protest, pushed back against the suggestion that the demonstrations pose a threat. “I’m sorry if they got threats, but the threats are not from us,” he said. “Our group is nonviolent. A whole bunch of our crowd is on Medicare and Social Security. We’re not going to gum everybody to death.”
Crockett said the portrayal of the protest as a potential danger was misguided. “We haven’t had any incidents,” he said. “No MAGA people showed up—just the occasional middle finger from a passing car.” He added that there is a “great drive on the council to portray this as something that requires a crackdown on disorderly behavior,” and he believes officials should acknowledge the mishandling of recent events.
He also likened ICE’s presence to a dark chapter in Worcester’s past: “The last time armed thugs with masks came into Worcester was in 1928, at a KKK rally. Eight hundred people showed up and drove them out. That’s the last time—until now.”
This marks the third protest in less than a week following the dramatic May 8 confrontation on Eureka Street that made national headlines. A woman identified by ICE as Ferreira de Oliveira was detained by agents without presenting a warrant, sparking a street-level clash that led to multiple arrests and widespread criticism of Worcester police and federal authorities.
Mayor Joseph Petty addressed the issue Tuesday morning, acknowledging the community’s anger and concern: “The events of the last few days, beginning with the situation on Eureka Street, have been deeply disturbing and raised many questions. As a result, many people – regardless of their viewpoint – are frustrated and angry.” Petty cited threats made against city officials and employees, adding that “employees have shared concerns about their safety.”
“In an abundance of caution,” Petty said, “and the hope that the many questions raised can be answered,” the city council meeting was moved to a fully remote format. “I recognize that some do not agree with this decision, but as mayor I feel it is my responsibility to keep people safe as we seek to bring people together and get answers.”
City Councilor Khrystian King also weighed in on Monday, offering strong support for Councilor Etel Haxhiaj’s response in the immediate aftermath of the ICE arrests. “Even if some may disagree with Councilor Haxhiaj’s response to the ICE deportation and related actions, let’s be clear: in the face of a sudden and traumatic immigration raid, she rose to the moment—not for politics, but for principle,” King said. “She acted urgently to defend a fellow mother, a woman in crisis, a young teen girl, and constituents she was elected to serve.”
King called her actions “moral leadership,” not “grandstanding,” and said he has requested a report outlining the city’s response on May 8. He also announced plans to propose that social workers be co-dispatched in all future cases involving children and families.
“The Trump administration has violated individuals’ constitutional right to due process—something the Constitution guarantees to all individuals on U.S. soil, regardless of immigration status,” King added.
Crockett, who has helped coordinate multiple protests over the past week, said Worcester Indivisible’s activism has grown significantly since the Trump administration. “We used to have very little to do,” he said. “Now we’ve got 4,000 members on Facebook. Fifty or sixty people show up for things like this.”
He said the protest has nothing to do with disrupting city council proceedings and dismissed the notion of escalation. “Sometimes you have to break the law to resist, but we’re not near that point,” he said. “We were always going to be peaceful.”
Remote access to the meetings remains available via Zoom, with phone participation also enabled at 1-646-828-7666 using access code 161 363 1913.
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