Utility Workers Restoring Power Attacked in Conn.

Bridgeport, Conn. residents, reacting to news that extended power outages appear to be primarily in the city's poorest neighborhoods, threw eggs at utility workers as they went about their work, causing the utility to demand police support for its workers, Fox News reported.

Bridgeport’s mayor, Bill Finch, claimed local power company United Illuminating "shortchanged" the state's largest city as it tries to rebound from the effects of Superstorm Sandy. Finch said the utility was looking out for the wealthy suburbs first.

"I'm sick and tired of Bridgeport being shortchanged," Finch said on Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal reported that 25,000 homes and business in Bridgeport remained in the dark Thursday.

The Journal reported that the outages appeared to be primarily in the city's poorest neighborhoods.

The next day, the utility’s workers reported being pelted with eggs, forcing it to pull its workers out until the city agreed to provide police protection.

"Citizens began throwing things at the crews," Michael West, a spokesman for United Illuminating, told Fox. "It started to get pretty hairy. They did not feel safe."

West said, according to Fox News, "We communicated with the city and said if you don’t provide police support, we can't have our crews there in harm's way.”

West said reports that the utility was favoring wealthy costumers were untrue.

"Clearly people took to heart what they heard, even though it was not factual," West said. "We don’t choose favorites."