After several recent protests, including violent and hateful attacks, against Boston Mayor Michelle Wu over her vaccine policies, local elected officials are stepping up their support of Wu, and rejecting threats against her.
U.S. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on Feb. 1 called for “an immediate end to this dangerous behavior” and said she condemned “the ongoing threats and hateful attacks” against the mayor.
“This type of vitriol, toxicity and hate is far too common for women of color in politics,” said Presley in a statement. “To remain silent is to be complicit… we will not stand by and watch as openly racist, anti-Asian and sexist rhetoric is normalized in our community.”
Mayor Wu announced on Dec. 20 a new vaccine mandate that requires people to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before entering certain indoor spaces like restaurants and entertainment venues. All city employees must be vaccinated, according to the rule, unless granted a reasonable accommodation on medical or religious grounds.
The mandate started in mid-January, and has brought with it opposition from those who feel the rules are too harsh. Protesters have organized rallies at City Hall, the mayor’s office, and in Roslindale, at the mayor’s home.
“They’ve shouted on megaphones that my kids will grow up without a mom bc I’ll be in prison,” Wu tweeted in response to the rally that took place outside of her house. “Yesterday at dinner my son asked who else’s bday it was bc the AM chant was ‘Happy birthday, Hitler.’”
Two days after the announcement, Mayor Wu spoke on Boston Public Radio of racist messages she’s gotten. Wu said that the experience is not uncommon but rather unfortunately familiar among women of color in leadership positions. According to Wu, anti-vaccine mandate protesters sang patriotic songs and chanted “U.S.A.” at City Hall when the announcement was made. She also noted that, beyond the protests around her workplace and residence, the negative messages she received were from all over the country through multiple platforms and channels.
“There is still a part of our society, even in this state, even in this city, that really feels like something is being taken away from them,” Wu said. “That is based in misinformation, it’s based in, I think at some level, hatred, and fear and confusion.”
The backlash also impacted other city officials, including Boston City Council President Ed Flynn, who got protests gathering outside his private residence in South Boston as well. According to the Boston Herald, protesters “called the Navy vet a ‘communist’ and ‘traitor’ for siding with the mayor.”
But many officials have expressed their support to Mayor Wu.
The racist comments and violent threats against @MayorWu are unacceptable and must stop. I stand with @RepPressley and Boston’s elected officials calling for an end to this dangerous behavior. https://t.co/3loXYHsgD8
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 2, 2022
SAMPAN, published by the nonprofit Asian American Civic Association, is the only bilingual Chinese-English newspaper in New England, acting as a bridge between Asian American community organizations and individuals in the Greater Boston area. It is published biweekly and distributed free-of-charge throughout metro Boston; it is also delivered to as far away as Hawaii.
