PHOTOS: Peaceful George Floyd Protests in Philadelphia Turn Violent
The Philadelphia protests in response to the killing of George Floyd began peacefully, but ended with fires, destruction and a city-imposed curfew.
Protestors too a knee for nine minutes at one of the George Floyd protests on May 30th in Philadelphia. Photograph by NurPhoto/Getty Images
Following protests that have broken out in cities across the country, seeking justice for the death of George Floyd after a white Minnesota police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes — just months after Breonna Taylor was killed by police in her own home in Louisville and Ahmaud Arbery was killed while jogging in South Georgia and days following the police killing of Tony McDade in Tallahassee — two protests were set to take place Philadelphia.
On Saturday, a Justice for George Floyd Philadelphia Protest was planned for noon at City Hall, while a Solidarity Against Police Terrorism protest led by Black Lives Matter Philly and Philly for REAL Justice was set for 2 p.m. on the Art Museum steps.
Protestors kneel in honor of George Floyd and “the lives of all those lost to police brutality.” Photograph by NurPhoto/Getty Images
The day began peacefully — protestors at City Hall took a knee for nine minutes “to remember the lives of all those lost to police brutality” — before heading to join the second protest at the Art Museum a little after 1 p.m., WHYY reports. The second protest was organized in response to the fact that “police killings of black people are continuing to occur despite a global pandemic” and was organized as “a solidarity action in support of Minneapolis and the various uprisings occurring across the country in response to police terrorism,” according to the event page. Commissioner Danielle Outlaw would later share that “at its peak, approximately 3,000 demonstrators were present at the Art Museum.” You can watch a live stream of the protest here.
Later, however, the protests escalated. The controversial Frank Rizzo statue was vandalized, police cars and the Starbucks outside of City Hall were set on fire, and businesses in Center City were damaged and broken into. According to reports, at least 13 police officers were injured, and at least 100 arrests were made. Mayor Jim Kenney implemented a curfew on Saturday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and Sunday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Below, see more photos and videos of Saturday’s events.
This is so powerful. The injustice needs to stop. #BLACK_LIVES_MATTER #phillyprotest pic.twitter.com/rcJo6b3jzK
— Coach Ricardo Miller (@RicardoMiller1) May 30, 2020
Philly protesters are marching back to City Hall. One mother stopped for some shade and to deliver a public service message. #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/mDwhxtfkNS
— Mensah M. Dean (@MensahDean) May 30, 2020
#GeorgeFloydProtests
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➡️ Philadelphia City Hall pic.twitter.com/ggjKmdny1T— 77K (@captsingh) May 31, 2020
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My sister took these at the #phillyprotest today. Protest is powerful, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. pic.twitter.com/szqy1azd6r
— Kenya (@Kenyaharris_) May 30, 2020
The crowd at the Philadelphia Museum of Art @BLMPhilly protest this afternoon pic.twitter.com/fDSrEGZZcQ
— Fabiola Cineas (@FabiolaCineas) May 30, 2020
#phillyprotest #BlackLivesMatter #philadelphia pic.twitter.com/Ydnh7xbk08
— ⓇⓃⒺ (@chrisdaprynce) May 31, 2020
✊ #PhillyProtest #BLM pic.twitter.com/VDDLeVkhmb
— Ꭼ (@ericmass_) May 31, 2020
Philadelphia right now. pic.twitter.com/6AoFQVG49G
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) May 30, 2020
Huge crowd at Municipal Services Building. They’re trying to take down Frank Rizzo statue pic.twitter.com/hM3JVTn7wX
— Sean Walsh (@sbcmw) May 30, 2020
Philly…It’s going to get real in Philadelphia tonight. Remember this tweet.#phillyprotest pic.twitter.com/0eikD7x3gl
— Stream My New Single “Trap Coat”!!! (@AbkTrauma) May 30, 2020
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Powerful. #phillyprotest #georgefloyd #nojusticenopeace #nojusticenopeace✊
The scene at City Hall @WHYYNews pic.twitter.com/5Kv2AcqIDU
— Emma Lee (@EmmaLeePhoto) May 30, 2020
Stop killing us! #phillyprotest #BlackLivesMatters pic.twitter.com/iV15xZynlY
— sah wah tee ♒️ (@Hashtag_Leel) May 31, 2020
Photograph courtesy Chris Narisi
Photograph courtesy Chris Narisi
Photograph courtesy Chris Narisi
Photograph courtesy Chris Narisi
Photograph courtesy Chris Narisi
Photograph courtesy Chris Narisi
Photograph courtesy Chris Narisi
Photograph courtesy Chris Narisi
Photograph courtesy Chris Narisi
