Worcester mayor apologizes for calling protesters ‘morons'

WORCESTER, Mass. — The mayor of Worcester is apologizing for comments he made after an immigration rally.

Mayor Joseph Petty joined hundreds of protesters outside Worcester City Hall Tuesday night before heading inside to a City Council meeting where he called some of the protesters “freaking morons.”

On Wednesday, Petty sent out a statement apologizing for the comments and said he was not aware his microphone was being recorded at that particular part of the meeting.

“For anyone who has been caught on a hot mic, it’s embarrassing. I was caught in a moment of frustration and I was wrong,” Petty said in an email statement.

Many of the protesters had been invited to the rally by Petty himself. The council meeting needed to be delayed, and that's when Petty's comments were picked up.

“He should have thought twice before opening his mouth,” Ryan Lindstrom said.

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