City of Worcester, MA

WORCESTER, Mass. – Following the disruption at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, I am reaffirming and publicizing the municipality’s longstanding policy on the use of City Hall. 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.

Police were dispatched to City Hall after receiving reports that a large group had assembled inside the Esther Howland Chamber, preventing the public meeting from proceeding. 

As protestors were peacefully cleared from the building, one individual was arrested for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and vandalizing property. 

The municipality has a longstanding policy regarding the use of City Hall, which precludes protests, rallies, and demonstrations from taking place inside the building. While this policy has not previously been widely distributed, we are making it publicly available and notifying the public that it will be strictly enforced. Any person found in non-compliance with the policy is subject to ejection and subject to arrest or other violations.  

I share in the public’s frustration of what is happening at the national level, 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.