ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WOWO): Allen County Councilman Larry Brown has resigned after he made insensitive comments last week during a meeting about protesters.

Brown submitted his letter of resignation according to our Partners in News at ABC 21.

RELATED: Controversial remarks made on video by Allen County Council Member

He said during last week’s meeting on protesters that “as uneducated as they are on local government, they do vote. And unfortunately they also breed.” The comments stem from emails sent by people with ties to protesters in Fort Wayne.

An online petition has more than 9500 signatures calling for his resignation.

Brown, a Republican, has served district four on the county council since 2014. He was re-elected in 2018.

Allen County Council President Joe Benz released the following statement on Brown’s resignation:

“I appreciate the decision Larry Brown has made to resign from County Council. It is the correct choice and the only way forward after Thursday’s meeting. I thank Mr. Brown for his years of public service and for his decision to put the community ahead of himself. But Mr. Brown’s resignation does not solve the challenge laid bare by Thursday’s meeting. Allen County Council will continue to consider ways to make local government more inclusive, more understanding and more representative of our very diverse community. We are committed to devoting the time and resources to that crucial task. Council will also continue to consider the question of censure, even though Mr. Brown is no longer a member of Council. It is important that it become a part of the permanent record that these comments are and will always be unacceptable and not representative of the values of this community or of Allen County government.”