Ben Rozier posted a series of rhetorical statements providing answers to the question “What is privilege?” in a public group.

He described privilege as wearing “$200 sneakers when you’ve never had a job” and “$300 Beats headphones while living on public assistance.”

Other things he branded as privilege included “living in public subsidized housing where you don’t have a water bill” and “having as many children as you want, regardless of employment status, and be able to send them of to daycare or school you don’t pay for.”

It further went on to address protesters and said: “Privilege is the ability to go march against, and protest against anything that triggers you, without worrying about calling out of work and the consequences that accompany such behavior.”

These comments come amid widespread protests nationwide following the death of George Floyd, who died after a police officer put his knee on his neck while arresting him, which have raised issues such as systemic racism.

Rozier has since deleted the post, according to local reports.

In response to a request to comment, Rozier told Newsweek: “Bad timing, I apologise to my City council for the embarrassment I have caused them.”

Bloomingdale City Council had earlier responded to the situation with a statement on Facebook, which read: “The Bloomingdale City Council and Administration is aware of the Facebook post made by Mayor Ben Rozier on Tuesday June 16, 2020 and its reaction by the general public.

“The Bloomingdale City Council wishes to state collectively that this action taken by Mayor Rozier is his action and his action alone. We in no way condone or endorse any single or collective posts made by the Mayor.

“The City of Bloomingdale is a Municipal Corporation that is charged with the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. This includes all citizens regardless of race, gender, color or creed. The Bloomingdale City Council will always strive to live up to this mandate and will always endeavor to be a governing body of service, inclusion, and promote a cohesive community.”

Rozier’s comments have drawn criticism, with several responses to the city’s statement calling for his resignation.

Hannah Minter, who said she is planning a protest at Bloomingdale’s city hall on Saturday following the comments, told WTOC: “Long story short, he used a bunch of racial stereotypes to completely deflect away from the matter at hand, which is white privilege.”

Rozier’s post is not the first time his social media comments have been called into question.

In 2018, he commented on a video of a black man blocking traffic which was shared on Facebook.

He went on to respond “cotton picker” to another person in the comments, which prompted calls for an explanation from colleagues.

Rozier said he made the comment because the Facebook bio of the woman he was responding to said that was her job, WTOC reported.

He told the outlet: “At that point, I found that to be either humorous or weird. I replied to her, and her thread the words ‘cotton picker.’”

He added: “I’m not going to quit social media. I’m not going to take my page down. But, yes, I should definitely guard what I say and I’ve learned a lesson from that.”

Newsweek has also contacted the City of Bloomingdale Council, asking for further comment and if there will be a statement from the mayor.

This article was updated to include a comment from Rozier.