EVERETT, MASS. (WHDH) - Hundreds of students walked out of school to protest at City Hall in Everett Monday, calling for accountability in the wake of a city councilor and an aide to the mayor resigning over racist messages.
“There are members of the City Council who don’t know how to filter themselves and have a lot of ideas that we’re not going to support,” said senior Nicholas Pereira. “We came here to speak our voice and educate people on what’s right and wrong, because what they’ve done is wrong.”
City Councilor Anthony DiPierro announced his resignation after private messages with racist imagery were made public, and Mayor Carlo DeMaria said his director of communications was also resigning. In a statement, DiPierro suggested others beside himself should resign as well.
“I take full responsibility for my actions, and encourage others who participated in this hurtful, insensitive banter, to also do the right thing and step down from their positions in city government,” DiPierro said.
“They’re over here making remarks that shouldn’t be made… they should be held accountable and it starts at the head office,” said senior Ismael Zamor.
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