Boston Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration recently came under fire for giving the Boston Police Department a list of Wu’s most vocal critics.
According to the Boston Herald, The Wu administration admitted to providing the Boston Police Department with a list of Wu’s critics in response to security concerns.
“The list was made in response to a request from the Boston Police Department after the Mayor had been harassed and physically intimidated by individuals for several months outside her home, at city functions such as the annual neighborhood parks coffee hours, and at other public events,” Ricardo Patron, a Wu spokesman, told the Boston Herald.
Patron explained that the request for a list of Wu’s critics came “after many individuals on the list repeatedly impeded the Dorchester Day Parade to harass Mayor Wu and her family and staff.”
Patron added that some of the critics included on the list were seen using megaphones to shout at Wu and her children for “nearly ninety minutes” during the parade.
According to Patron, Boston police met with city staff on June 10, just days after the parade on June 5 to discuss a safety plan for the Bunker Hill Day parade on June 12.
“The then-Captain of the District overseeing Charlestown asked for a list of individuals who had been involved in public disruption and harassment of the Mayor at the Dorchester Day Parade and outside her house,” Patron stated. “The email was sent as a follow-up immediately after that meeting.”
The Boston Herald reported that the Wu administration’s acknowledgement of the compiled list of critics comes after Wu opponents obtained information regarding an email that was uncovered through a public records request.
READ MORE: Alleged Chinese spy arrested by FBI in Boston
Wu’s administration has been accused of using tactics similar to those employed by former president Richard Nixon, gaining Wu a reputation as someone willing to intimidate critics and prevent citizens from legally protesting in the city.
The list of Wu’s critics, which was sent by email from Dave Vittorini, Wu’s former director of constituent services to Boston Police Capt. Robert Ciccolo, is reported to include people such as City Council candidate Cristine Vitale, North End restaurant owners, and anti-vaccine activists.
The email obtained by Wu’s opponents does not include an explanation of why the names were sent from Vittorini to Ciccolo. The Boston Herald also noted that it is not clear what the Boston Police Department did with the list of names provided by Wu’s administration.
Wu’s administration previously passed an ordinance that prohibited protests outside the mayor’s house during certain hours as a result of major protests last year at Wu’s Roslindale home.
