NEW ORLEANS — The Tucks organization has issued a formal apology for a bird-flipping incident in front of Gallier Hall during the krewe’s annual Carnival parade in New Orleans.
A picture of Mayor Latoya Cantrell shooting the middle finger to a float during the February 18 parade quickly went viral.
The mayor explained what happened during a recent news conference.
“When one of the floats passed by, I was flipped the bird, and I was struggling not to have my Medea movement and boo back and forth and wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, you know. I just had to go ahead and just do a little bird flip and say I love you.”
Thursday, Parade Captain Lloyd Frischhertz sent the mayor a letter of apology.
In it, he admitted to an inappropriate act by one of Tuck’s 2,500 members during the parade. The act prompted the mayor’s middle finger response.
The letter stated, "Krewe of Tucks prohibits any and all forms of obscene, offensive, vulgar or political communication of any form including the offensive, obscene finger gesture. The Krewe investigated and identified the offending individual and immediately terminated his membership in Tucks."
Friday, the mayor released a video accepting the krewe’s apology.
“I want to say thank you to the Krewe of Tucks for issuing a formal apology, and I do love you,” Cantrell said.
The mayor has said she didn’t think the gesture was a shot at her but a shot at the city that worked so hard to return Mardi Gras krewes to their original parade routes. As for flipping the bird, the mayor said she hopes it never happens again.
Frischhertz told WWL-TV, “We stand by the letter. The mayor sent back a very nice letter to the krewe. We expect to have a good relationship going forward.”
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