Angry residents of Bridgeport, Connecticut threw eggs at utility crews trying to restore electricity.
United Illuminating workers had to call police for protection after residents threw eggs and other objects putting the workers at risk. The workers reported that they were met with verbal abuse and when that didn’t stop them working, they were pelted with eggs and other objects.
“Citizens began throwing things at the crews,” Michael West of United Illuminating told FoxNews. “It started to get pretty hairy. They did not feel safe.”
The violence came a day after Mayor Bill Finch told media that the utility was taking care of wealthy suburbs rather than taking care of the city. West vehemently denied the Mayor’s claims.
“Clearly people took to heart what they heard, even though it was not factual,” West said of the reported incidents Wednesday. “We don’t choose favorites.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that 25,000 homes are without power for the fifth straight day and that most of the homes are in the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
Violence against utility workers is not the only actions becoming common in storm ravaged areas. Police have been manning gas stations to prevent violence and to prevent people from jumping lines as long as three miles for gasoline.
