Garrett Hoffman and Jake Saxton
Staff Writers
After the terrible and unfortunate death of George Floyd, tensions have spiked all across the country in major cities. Protests in Philadelphia started peacefully, but slowly began to get more violent, with looting and arson taking place after dark.
The National Guard was deployed to Philadelphia on Monday, June 1, to facilitate and apply a heavy military presence to contain the violence, looting and arson that had occurred the previous weekend. In response, protesters ended up barricading the Vine Street Expressway near 22nd Street, which caused problems on Interstate 676. The highway was closed on both ends for hours leaving people in a traffic jam created by the protesters. On top of that, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was also closed. The police used tear gas, other chemicals, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds on the highway and open it back up.
The Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw defended the use of tear gas at the Monday protest during a press conference:
“We have repeatedly assured our great communities that we will protect, preserve, and uphold every person’s constitutional right to protest. However, we cannot tolerate acts of violence and other criminal activity.”
A city police officer was hurt on Monday when a stolen car by a protester slammed into his cruiser on the 4800 block of Sansom Street. One person was arrested while others fled the scene. The officer was then rushed to the hospital with minor injuries.
Chaos has been erupting throughout every major city and on June 2, every state had something going on due to the “Blackout Tuesday.”
It’s unfortunate to see how the actions of bad police officers have had a terrible impact on the country and the work of good officers to the point where it is now dividing the country.
