Sent this to Eric Batista’s communication guys, knowing they were already getting a lot of heat due to the Director of Communications and Marketing for the City of Worcester going on a local talk show and explaining their problematic process, which raised eyebrows of Bill Shaner and Tom and John's podcast through This Week In Worcester
22 minutes later (39 days after they received my appeal) the Worcester Law department responded to my appeal of the city manager’s No Tresspassing and Cease/Desist letter.
Short version:
They’re doublding down, but I’m only banned from city hall, not the comon!
Cool. I can still attend PRIDE.
Here was my response
Dear Eric Batista
I could be mistaken, but believe you were legally required to provide this response a week or two ago. It's unfortunate that your law department refused to provide clarity until after my email to Tom Matthews and Mike Moore this afternoon. Regardless, Thank you for providing the clarification I requested when the order was served, as well as numerous times since then. I look forward to resuming attendance to events at the common.
Please be advised, I refiled a significant number of public record requests over this past weekend, some of which were unresponded to for over a year, and others that the city had been order to comply with by the state supervisor of records, yet had not. These incidents are a a matter of public record and show problematic police behavior such as using dogs or tasers, assaulting protestors, and and it would be both unethical and unlawful for your public records access officer, Mike Vigneux or his supervisor Janice Thompson to continue to withhold the responsive records to these requests. On November 12, 2024 the Worcester City Council unanimously voted to request you order your administration to fully comply with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, known as the Massachusetts Public Records Law, but I have confirmed both through their demonstrated practices and a public records request that you have not done so.
Please be further advised, the city has still failed to respect my right to due process in this matter, and additionally that the Worcester Special Weapons And Tactical Officer who initially attempted to serve the order informed that I would be arrested if I used the commons behind city hall, apparently falsely, which of course had a chilling effect on my rights.
My behavior has not been unlawful or in bad faith, but actions from the city manager's office, city clerks office, and law department have been.
Please expect a formal lawsuit in the next few months, but to be clear as you love to say, I will continue my pursuit of accountability from your departments and thee public officials within them.
I will forward your most recent communication to the ACLU, and otherwise continue as I have been with no change.
In good faith and conscience, hoping you and your employees will someday be able to say the same,
David Webb
Here’s all the full documents if you want to review them