April 30, 2015
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
Hundreds of demonstrators marched for hours through Center City Thursday night, protesting police violence.
Hundreds of demonstrators marched throughout Center City for hours Thursday night following a late afternoon rally protesting police brutality held outside City Hall.
The mostly peaceful protest became tense at a few moments, including a failed attempt by some marchers to pass by officers on horseback at Broad and Vine streets.
PHOTO GALLERY: On the streets with the protesters
There, several protesters linked arms and advanced toward a line of officers on horseback, who were blocking the eastbound entrance ramp to I-676. Two people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. They were later released Thursday night, according to police.
Joelle Shofield, one of the rally's coordinators, claimed police used pepper spray to knock some marchers back at the intersection.
A SWAT team quickly appeared at the intersection, where police and protesters stood facing one another for several minutes as the crowd chanted "Our streets." Eventually, police opened Vine Street and the march continued without any major altercations.
"Things went well for the most part," said Philadelphia Police Lt. John Stanford. "There were many decent, respectable citizens who just wanted their voices heard and wanted real change. "
"However, whenever there is a large crowd, there will be a handful that are looking for confrontation and we had a number of these mixed in the crowd, too."
The marchers, who seemed unorganized at times as they roamed the city, were shadowed by police in vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles. Officers on the street seemed to be trying to give the protesters the opportunity to demonstrate peacefully.
"They're fighting for their freedom [in Baltimore]. It just saddens me. In 2015, you'd think we'd be more progressive toward equality." – Ashley Waters, Philadelphia
The march began at 6 p.m. following a 90-minute rally at Dilworth Park, where between 800 to 1,000 people gathered to call attention to police brutality, racial profiling and black oppression.
Dorothy Charles, a 22-year-old medicine student at the University of Pennsylvania, said she came out because she wants police violence to be treated as a public health issue in the way gun violence is.
"The uprisings that you're seeing show that this has become a really systemic issue," she said. "Because we've made a lot of noise about it, we can push a lot forward. We have a lot of momentum going."
The majority of the crowd consisted of young, African Americans, but the demonstrators also included a sizeable white population.
The protesters stretched for several blocks as they snaked their way around City Hall, down South Broad Street and headed against traffic on Locust Street. The crowd dwindled as the march stretched further into the night, ultimately concluding when about 100 people reached the Ninth District police station at 21st and Hamilton streets.
"Overall, we are very proud of the citizens of Philadelphia and the members of our department for the conduct displayed yesterday," said Stanford.
Many demonstrators carried placards with messages that read "Black Lives Matter," "Philly Is Baltimore" and "Justice." Others were more pointed toward police, including signs reading "Jail Killer Cops" and "Abolish The Police."
Protesters come face-to-face with Philadelphia police officers at Broad and Vine streets in Center City Philadelphia on Thursday evening. Police reported two arrests. (Thom Carroll / PhillyVoice)
Similar demonstrations have unfolded in cities across the country following Monday's riots in Baltimore, where protesters have demanded answers regarding the death of a Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after suffering spinal injuries while in police custody.
Trinique Stallings, a 21-year-old from Baltimore, said it was difficult to watch the media portrayals of her hometown, saying reporters focused too much on the riots rather than the cause that sparked them.
"I feel if I can't be out there, I need to do something here," she said.
Ashley Waters, of Philadelphia, said he is hopeful these demonstrations spark a revolution.
"They're fighting for their freedom," he said of the Baltimore demonstrators. "It just saddens me. In 2015, you'd think we'd be more progressive toward equality."
The vast majority of the protesters marched peacefully, engaging in various chants highlighting their cause.
"No justice, no peace," the crowd shouted at various points throughout the night. "What do you want? Justice. When do you want it? Now."
Patrons dining al fresco at Parc and other 18th Street restaurants could hear protestors shouting "White silence is white content" and "Black lives matter" as they passed through Rittenhouse Square, marching by a McLaren sports car parked nearby.
At times the protesters' chants could be heard to grow sharper, particularly following the incident at Broad and Vine streets: "F--- the police!" "F--- these pigs!" and "Hey hey, go home, these racists cops have got to go."
The rally started at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Dilworth Park, where about two dozen speakers addressed the crowd, including the mother of Brandon Tate-Brown.
Tate-Brown, 26, was fatally shot by police in December after being stopped for a traffic violation. District Attorney Seth Williams cleared the two officers involved of any wrongdoing in March.
