Story highlights Sanders rally brings thousands to NYC's Washington Square Park

Sanders supporter apologizes for attack on opponents

New York (CNN) Bernie Sanders touted his support for striking telecom workers at a star-studded rally in New York City's Washington Square Park on Wednesday night, less than a week out from New York state's primary vote.

Nearly 40,000 Verizon employees, members of the Communications Workers of America union, walked off the job Wednesday as part of one of the biggest strikes in recent U.S. history. The CWA is among Sanders' largest backers among organized labor groups.

"Tonight, I want to take my hat off to the CWA," he told supporters in the park. "They are standing up to a greedy corporation that wants to cut their health care benefits, send decent paying jobs abroad and then provide $20 million a year to their CEO."

A law enforcement official estimated the crowd size at 15,000, though the campaign cited a a higher number of attendees -- 27,000, according to a press release.

Earlier in the day, that CEO, Lowell McAdam, attacked Sanders in a long Linked-In post, calling the Vermont senator's "uninformed views" about his company "contemptible."

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