►
Description
The Committee on Public Safety of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, at 4:30 PM, in a remote manner using Microsoft® Teams to hear testimony on the following items:
200397 Resolution authorizing the City Council Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings to review the City’s response to protests in support of ending systemic racism in policing and of the Black Lives Matter movement, and to provide residents with a forum to share their experiences and make recommendations for safer and non discriminatory policing.
A
No
reasonable
expectation
of
privacy-
I
continue
to
be
in
this
meeting.
You
are
consenting
to
being
recorded
due
to
the
volume
of
witnesses
requests
that
we
have
received.
We
ask
that
your
testimony
remain
brief,
around
three
minutes
to
ensure
that
all
members
of
the
public
who
wish
to
testify
are
able
to
testify
additionally
prior
to
councilman
jones,
recognizing
members
for
questions
or
comments
they
have
for
witnesses.
I
will
note
for
the
record
that
at
this
time
the
chat
feature
will
be
used
in
microsoft
team
to
allow.
B
E
C
C
E
They
demanded
more
of
their
police
force,
other
governments
and
of
this
nation,
and
they
demanded
more
of
us
as
thousands
marched
through
our
city,
to
demand
a
better
tomorrow.
They
were
met
with
a
show
of
force
that
had
not
been
deployed
on
such
a
scale
in
our
city.
In
decades,
militarized
vehicles
rolled
down,
52nd
street
tear
gas,
pepper
spray
and
acrid
chemicals
filled.
There
filled
the
air
without
warning,
rubber
bullets
and
other
objects
tore
through
west
philadelphia
and
on.
C
E
And
on
I-676,
forcing
families
to
evacuate
and
leaving
others
with
little
to
no
place
to
retreat
the
targeting
was
indiscriminate
young
people,
journalists
seniors
long
time,
residents
living
in
their
homes,
observers,
demonstrators,
even
those
calling
for
assistance,
were
met
with
force.
Many
of
us
have
witnessed
videos
and
social
media
posts
documenting
the
chaos,
but
few
of
us
who
were
not
on
the
ground
have
heard
directly
from
the
people
who
experienced
it.
E
We
are
here
today
to
center
the
voices
of
our
residents
and
to
acknowledge
and
better
understand
the
deep
harm
caused
against
black
philadelphians,
in
particular
residents
of
color
in
general
and
everyday
people
exercising
their
first
amendment
rights.
We
are
here
because
of
the
perceived
and
at
times
in
your
face,
disparate
treatment
by
our
city,
depending
on
who
was
doing
the
protesting.
E
We
are
called
to
this
responsibility
today,
precisely
because
the
events
of
may
and
june
tie
into
a
long
history
of
eroding
trust
and
faith
in
our
policing
institutions
and
of
government
leadership
to
preserve
public
safety,
to
distinguish
between
first
amendment,
freedoms
and
public
intimidation
or
threats,
and
we
know
we
have
a
long
path
ahead
of
us.
A
brief
comment
on
the
process
that
you
are
about
to
hear
tonight.
This
is
not
an
investigation.
There
are
numerous
investigations
into
what
happened.
E
What
is
going
on
what
city
council
chose
instead
was
a
public
process
of
listening
of
truth-telling,
of
accountability
driven
by
the
voices
and
experiences
of
the
people
we
serve.
We
believe
that
if
we
are
to
have
hope
for
reconciliation
and
for
true
and
meaningful
change,
it
has
to
start
with
the
testimonies.
You
will
hear
over
the
next
several
hours,
so
you
will
not
hear
us,
ask
many
questions
or
query
witnesses,
except
maybe
to
clarify
some
answers
and
some
basic
facts.
Some
of
what
you
may
hear
today
may
reinforce
your
beliefs.
Others
will
challenge
them.
E
They
are
not
meant
to
comfort.
It
is
not
meant
to
be
easy
to
hear.
Some
of
you
will
say
that
this
is
not
a
full
picture
and
you
are
correct.
This
is
only
a
snapshot
told
through
the
voices
of
our
residents
in
their
own
words
and
without
a
filter.
I
hope
people
will
consider
how
hard
it
is
for
people
to
have
come
forward
to
tell
these
stories
and
what
it
means
for
people
to
take
a
leap
of
faith.
E
To
do
so,
we
have
to
recognize
what
is
at
stake
when
residents
who
have
been
subjected
to
brute
force
come
to
their
elected
officials
to
demand
better.
We
have
to
understand
how
powerful
these
moments
are,
that
they
are
not
isolated
in
time,
but
they
are
a
narrative
of
people's
lived
experiences
with
systemic
racism
with
policing
of
communities
and
with
a
sense
of
an
urgent
need
for
safety
and
confidence.
E
But
we
also
heard
an
urgent
call
for
change
and
transformation
and
a
strong
belief
that
there
is
no
better
time
for
it
than
now
and
in
the
weeks
ahead
we
will
be
challenged
not
only
as
a
city
but
as
a
nation
to
uphold
our
core
values
and
freedoms
we'll
be
tested
about
whether
our
institutions,
police
and
government
can
respond
appropriately.
As
people
head
to
the
polls
and
take
to
the
streets,
it
is
our
solemn
responsibility
to
do
everything
in
our
power
to
uphold
the
trust
that
philadelphians
place
in
us
by
listening
today.
E
A
B
It's
not
easy
to
stand
up
and
speak
your
truth
to
power.
It's
not
easy
to
rehash
painful
experiences
like
the
ones
that
protesters
on
I-676
and
on
west
52nd
street
faced
earlier
this
year,
and
I
want
to
be
perfectly
clear-
this
isn't
just
pain.
This
is
trauma
we're
talking
about
the
very
people
charged
with
serving
us
and
protecting
us
from
harm
participated
in
perpetuating
the
cycle
of
violence
and
oppression
that
these
protests
targeted
in
the
first
place.
B
I
was
on
52nd
street
that,
day
months
later,
I
remained
just
as
disturbed
as
ever
that
police
squads
came
into
our
community,
our
black
residential
neighborhood,
with
tanks
and
firing
tear
gas
and
rubber
bullets
at
our
own
people.
Let's
not
mince
words,
this
was
an
attack.
It
was
an
attack
on
a
residential
black
community
that
has
been
discriminated
against
by
police
for
generations.
B
It
was
an
attack
on
families
on
young
children
and
seniors
alike,
who
choked
on
tear
gas
inside
their
own
homes.
It
was
an
attack
on
each
and
every
person
that
was
indiscriminately
hit,
with
pepper
spray
or
rubber
bullets,
while
they
were
walking
towards
home
or
driving
in
their
cars,
and
it
was
an
attack
on
whatever
trust
our
community
had
managed
to
build
with
police
in
the
decades
since
the
move
bombing.
B
Another
grievous
instance
of
police
brutality
carried
out
against
our
own
people
in
our
own
neighborhood,
and
so
today
I
not
only
want
to
hear
your
stories,
but
I
want
to
recommit
myself
to
the
fight
for
justice.
I
don't
want
this
trauma.
Our
community
has
experienced
to
be
in
vain.
We
as
city
leaders,
need
to
use
our
power
and
our
voices
to
prevent
anything
like
this
from
happening
anywhere
in
our
city
ever
again.
Thank
you.
A
G
G
We
sought
to
serve
as
unofficial
protest
monitors
to
protect
the
people,
as
we
had
done
the
night
before
in
center
city
in
center
city.
On
that
night,
on
saturday,
police
officers
stood
and
took
a
laid-back
attitude,
even
though
multiple
stores
are
being
openly
looted.
I
don't
recall
seeing
any
police
officers
that
night
in
riot
gear,
yet
the
next
day
was
totally
different
on
the
31st.
G
G
Once
I
pulled
myself
together,
I
parked
and
met
the
other
clergy
on
the
corner
of
51st
and
chestnut
to
meet
them.
I
had
to
pass
a
virtual
wall
of
police
officers
in
full
ride
gear
holding
the
corner
of
51st
and
market
streets.
Nobody
could
pass
as
I
took
in
the
scene.
The
citizens
were
mostly
upset
that
such
a
buildup
of
force
was
being
made
and
interfering
with
what
was
otherwise
a
beautiful
day,
all
up
and
down
the
streets.
G
On
that
day,
families
who
had
been
locked
up
and
locked
in
the
house
due
to
covet
19
were
sitting
outside
finally
able
to
get
fresh
air.
As
clergy,
we
moved
down
the
block
on
chestnut
toward
52nd,
never
getting
more
than
a
half
a
block
away
or
close
to
our
right.
A
family
was
celebrating
a
birthday
of
a
child
on
their
stew.
We
could
see
that,
on
the
other
side
of
52nd
and
chestnut
volleys
of
tear
gas
started
firing
into
what
appeared
to
be
a
retail
store.
G
A
few
moments
later,
a
couple
dozen
people
came
running
out
of
the
building.
At
that
point,
volleys
of
tear
gas,
which
I
captured
on
my
facebook
live
one
fell
right
through
my
legs
started
falling
in
our
midst.
There
was
no
warning,
not
one
warning,
no
announcement
and
no
provocation,
aside
from
the
maybe
50
to
100
protesters
in
ourselves
that
were
scattered
on
the
long
block
of
chestnut
between
52nd
and
51st.
G
All
who
were
really
just
watching
the
only
other
persons
were
residents
sitting
outside
largely
ignoring
everything
that
was
going
on.
Let
me
be
clear
that
the
only
acts
of
violence
that
I
witnessed
on
that
day
were
acts
committed
by
the
philadelphia
police
department
in
a
manner
consistent
with
what
we
all
witnessed
on
video
the
following
day
on
interstate
676,
the
excessive
force
excessive
use
of
force
was
uncalled
for.
G
There
was
no
regard
in
the
52nd
street
corridor
for
the
thousands
of
residents
who
were
simply
trying
to
live
in
peace
as
tear
gas
and
tanks
took
over
their
streets.
I
can't
imagine
ever
seeing
a
similar
scene
in
the
neighborhood,
where
I
pastor
in
society
hill.
Finally,
the
saddest
part
of
the
entire
sunday
evening
for
me,
is
that
most
of
the
residents
on
their
stoops
never
even
protested
the
police
build
up.
G
They
went
on
about
their
lives
as
though
nothing
was
happening,
and
I
believe
that
it's
because
we
so
normalized
over
policing
in
the
black
community
that
we
now
take
for
granted
tanks
driving
on
our
streets,
tear
gas
in
our
front
yards
and
riot
gear,
clad
police
officers
cussing
out
our
children.
This
is
what
just
one
of
the
many
issues
that
happened
on
that
week,
and
so
I'm
just
happy
that
the
committee
has
opened
itself
up
today
to
hear
our
stories.
Thank
you.
D
My
name
is
veggie
gente,
I'm
32
years
old,
black
male.
I
have
living
for
the
duffer
penicillin
for
20
years.
I'm
haitian,
I
have
three
kids
on
my
on
may
31st
on
52nd
and
marcus
street.
I
left
my
house
around.
Like
two
o'clock
I
was
coming
from
reno
street,
not
too
far
from
52nd
and
market.
I
had
my
black
lives
matter,
poster
in
my
hand,
and
I
was
walking
towards
market
street.
When
I
got
to
a
market
street.
D
There
were
several
police
officers
at
each
corner
of
the
streets
and
there
were
multiple
people
in
the
streets
with
signs.
I'm
sorry
we're
signed
as
well.
Every
everything
was
fine
at
first
people
were
conversating
among
each
other
about
what
happened
to
george
floyd
on
may
25th
and
the
other
killing
of
black
people.
That
happened
all
over
the
world
just
this
year
alone
and
how
it
seems
like
it
would
never
end.
D
D
D
D
I
stood
on
the
stool
that
was
in
the
streets
and
I
stood
with
my
hand
my
right
hand
up
fists
up
in
the
sky.
My
head
down,
I
probably
stood
on
the
stool
for
like
seven
minutes
with
my
fists
in
the
air
talking
to
a
police
officer
who
appears
to
be
a
captain
because
he
had
on
a
college
shirt
on.
I
was
asking
him
to
protect
us
and
asking
the
protesters
to
take
a
knee.
D
I
said
the
protectors
are
afraid
of
what
y'all
might
do
as
a
black
man
in
america,
black
woman,
black
father's
black
son,
black
daughter.
If
we
are
black
period
in
america,
we
are
afraid
of
what
your
police
officer
might
do
to
us.
I
stood
tall
to
him
and
I
put
my
right
fist
back
in
the
air
and
my
head
dale
one
of
a
sudden
I
got
hit
with
a
rubber
bullet.
D
I
began
walking
to
a
police
officer
and
I
got
hit
with
his
baton.
I
didn't
notice
that
the
armored
truck
had
pulled
up
next
to
me.
While
my
head
was
down.
I
was
pepper
spray.
Everyone
was
running
for
for
their
lives.
Everyone
was
scared.
My
shoulder
was
dislocated
and
I
was
held
and
I
was
having
several
chest
pain.
H
Hi,
my
name
is
dr
elizabeth
budge,
I'm
going
to
be
talking
about
the
same
day
and
evening,
so
my
husband
and
I
are
both
physicians
and
who
live
in
west
philadelphia
and
late.
On
the
afternoon
of
may
31st,
we
were
told
by
a
friend
that
there
was
multiple
people
who
were
hurt
at
the
protest
at
52nd
street
and
walnut
and
that
they
were
putting
pulling
out
a
call
for
help,
because
there
was
a
concern
that
they
weren't
seeking
help
through
traditional
channels
because
of
fear
of
engaging
them.
H
So
my
husband
and
I
first
put
on
our
scrubs
so
that
we
could
be
more
easily
identified
as
medical
personnel
and
we
went
directly
to
the
corner
of
52nd
and
walnut.
When
we
got
there,
things
were
not
actually
that
tense.
We
walked
right
up
to
the
group
of
police
officers
introduced
ourselves
asked
if
they
knew
of
any
way
that
we
could
help.
We
were
told
by
them
that
everyone
was
okay.
H
They
thanked
us
acknowledged
and
acknowledged
that
we
said
we
were
going
to
stay
there
in
case
there
was
other
concerns
for
people's
safety
and
health.
There
really
was
very
calm
at
that
point.
There
wasn't
much
going
on
the
only
traffic
that
was
blocked
by
anybody
was
the
the
police
cars,
including
the
the
tank
on
52nd
street
cars,
were
still
very
easily
going
through
walnut
street
and
all
the
surrounding
streets.
H
H
Observing
there
had
been
that
day
announced
the
6
pm
curfew,
but
we
were
there
well
before
well
after
the
6pm
curfew,
and
there
was
absolutely
no
acknowledgement,
no
announcement
from
any
of
the
authorities,
my
husband
and
I
had
a
very
good
view
of
everything
and
we
were
quite
close
as
we
were
specifically
keeping
an
eye
on
things
from
the
whole
area
for
people
that
needed
help
after
things
had
been
quite
calm
like
that.
For
quite
some
time,
there
was
no
warning.
H
I
estimate
that
there
was
about
two
dozen
canisters
that
were
shot
south
down
52nd
street
towards
walnut
and,
after
the
fact,
just
to
get
a
sense
of
how
big
these
are
that
are
flying
through
the
air,
multiple
stories
into
the
the
air
without
being
aimed.
So
this,
if
you're
running
away
from
it.
This
is
what
you're
running
away
from
without
being
able
to
see
it
coming.
H
They
were
multiple
people
who
we
treated,
who
had
cuts
burns,
especially
people
that
were
running
blinded
by
the
gas
through
the
broken
glass
on
the
streets
that
had
already
been
there.
There
were
people
that
were
trying
to
contain
the
canisters,
especially
after
it
became
evident
that
they
were
affecting
people
beyond
just
the
protesters.
H
There
were
several
rounds
of
rubber
bullets
shot
at
that
point
that
we
observed,
we
were
working
with
a
medical
student
who
had
also
come
just
identified
as
medical
personnel.
She
was
very
clearly
marked
as
a
medic
and
she
was
shot
with
a
rubber
bullet
in
the
leg
while
dragging
someone
out
from
the
broken
glass.
H
H
While
we
were
there
treating
some
of
the
protesters
who
had
got
caught
in
this
ring
of
impenetrable
tear
gas
that
you
had
to
run
through.
We
noticed
that
a
black
woman
ran
out
of
one
of
the
houses
in
front
of
us
carrying
her
crying
daughter
who
looked
like
she
was
about
six
years
old.
She
told
me
that
a
canister
had
landed
on
the
roof
of
their
front
porch.
H
So
on
the
right
below
their
second
story.
Windows
and
the
tear
gas
had
been
going
right
into
the
second
story,
windows
of
her
house.
It
had
gotten
in
this
child's
eyes.
We
and
we
looked
up.
We
could
see
the
tear
gas
can
canister
still
smoking
into
the
windows
of
her
house.
The
little
girl
was
barefoot.
She
was
crying
screaming.
She
had
a
wet
cloth,
pressed
up
to
her
face
where
the
family
had
tried
to
help
her.
H
She,
we
irrigated
her
eyes
to
try
to
get
the
tear
gas
out
as
best
as
we
could
to
calm
her
down.
She
thought
that
she
had
been
permanently
blinded
and
was
never
going
to
be
able
to
see
and
was
screaming
at
the
top
of
her
lungs
and
crying
she
continued
to
scream.
As
we
tried
to
treat
her,
then
the
other
children
who
lived
in
the
house
started
pouring
out
of
the
house.
H
Her
mom
was
too
scared
to
engage
any
of
the
authorities
at
that
point,
and
she
took
off
running
west
farther
west
and
mentioned
that
she
was
going
to
go
to
her
uncle's
house
to
see
if
they
could
take
refuge
there,
and
this
was
on
the
5200
block
of
walnut
street.
I
was
told
later
after
reconnecting
with
the
family,
that
what
happened
was
there
had
been
actually
an
infant
sleeping
in
that
room.
H
Multiple
other
households
from
that
same
block
were
actively
evacuating
as
well,
including
a
number
of
elderly
people.
I
saw
people
who
clearly
had
mobility
issues
and
the
protesters
who
had
just
recovered
from
their
own
tear
gas
exposure
were
helping
them
down.
Stoops
outer
driveways
trying
to
get
out
of
an
area,
but
there
was
a
lot
of
uncertainty
about
if
there'd
continue
to
be
more
tear
gas
in
the
area.
So
people
were
really
caught
between
staying
in
their
house
and
deciding
to
move.
H
They
were
shouting
down
to
us
asking
if
there
were
if
there
was
going
to
be
more
from
what
we
could
see.
We
had
a
quite
a
good
view
down
down
walnut
street.
There
were
no
police
anywhere
in
this
area.
They
did
not
even
have
a
line
of
sight
to
what
the
tear
gas
canisters,
where
they
were
landing
and
who
they
were
affecting
because
it
was
around
the
corner
from
where
they
are
so
we
were,
people
were
so
traumatized
and
asking
you
know,
is
there
going
to
be
more
what's
happening?
H
We
in
our
scrubs
started
walking
back
towards
the
the
police
that
were
closer
to
the
corner
of
52nd
and
walnut.
You
know
to
you,
know
telling
them
you're
it's
you
know,
stop
it.
There's
kids!
Here
you
have,
you
know,
please
don't
no
more,
but
we
we
walked
up
to
the
corner
and
there
was
police
and
in
full
riot
here
with
weapons,
and
they
started
gesticulating
back
at
us
and
we
got
very
scared
that
they
were
going
to.
H
There
was
going
to
be
a
aggression
on
their
part,
and
so
we
weren't
able
to
give
our
message
of
saying
you
know.
Please
stop
you're
affecting
the
children
and
we
turned
around
and
walked
farther
west
on
walnut
as
well.
So
we
were
really
just
appalled
by
the
aggression
that
was
unleashed
by
the
police
on
this
residential
neighborhood
with
a
completely
undangerous
unthreatening
group
of
protesters.
H
The
actions
of
the
police
escalated
this
peaceful
situation
and
clearly
injured
children
who
are
doing
nothing
but
sleeping
at
home.
In
their
own
beds,
there
was
really
no
danger
to
overcome
no
aggression
to
diffuse
and
it
really
having
been.
There
remains
totally
inconceivable
to
me
how
the
use
of
tear
gas
was
even
considered
under
these
circumstances,
let
alone
approved
for
this
use.
H
As
you
may
know,
the
use
of
tear
gas
as
a
chemical
weapon
has
been
banned
in
warfare
under
the
geneva
protocol
nearly
100
years
ago
and
then
specifically
again
by
the
un's
chemical
weapons
convention
in
1997.
So
this
clearly
underscores
the
danger
of
this
chemical
weapon
which
can
have
permanent
effects
even
in
adults.
H
C
Thank
you
for
your
testimony
and
I'm
sorry
for
the
trauma
you
went
through.
I
want
to
thank
my
members
because
I
can
see
your
faces
breaking
out
in
words.
I
know
you
well
enough
to
know,
but
we
want
to
try
to
get
as
many
of
these
important
testimonies
on
the
record
as
possible.
Thank
you.
Miss
williams,
who's
next.
G
Good
afternoon,
mr
chairman,
my
name
is
dr
damon
b
jones
senior
good
afternoon
members
of
council
and
thank
you
for
affording
me
the
opportunity
to
present
my
testimony
today.
For
the
last
26
years.
I
have
served
and
continued
to
serve
as
the
senior
pastor
of
the
bible
weight
baptist
church
located
in
the
1300
block
of
north
52nd
street
in
west
philadelphia
on
may
31st
2020.
G
I
received
a
call
that
there
was-
and
I
quote,
a
lot
of
trouble
down
on
52nd
street
my
17
year
old
son
dominic,
and
I
drove
to
the
area
to
see
what
the
problem
was
and
to
make
myself
available.
As
a
community
leader
and
clergy
person
should
the
need
arise
upon
exiting
the
car,
a
block
or
so
south
of
the
mcdonald's.
G
We
were
immediately
adversely
affected
by
tear
gas
lingering
in
the
air.
There
were
crowds
of
people
peacefully
gathered,
observing
the
sight
of
at
least
one
large
platoon
of
philadelphia
police
officers
lined
up
in
the
middle
of
52nd
street
adjacent
to
the
mcdonald's
in
full
riot
attire.
We
noticed
two
black
armored
tanks
in
the
street
as
well.
We
began
hearing
loud
blasts
and
quickly
realized
that
the
police
were
firing,
tear
gas
canisters
indiscriminately
into
the
crowd,
causing
us
to
run
a
few
times.
G
G
I
should
note
that
the
sneaker
store
across
from
mcdonald's
was
being
looted
in
plain
sight
and
just
feet
away
from
a
platoon
of
officers
with
absolutely
no
response
from
the
police
officers
on
the
scene.
Instead,
the
officers
in
the
tank
were
focused
on
firing,
tear
gas
and
rubber
bullets
into
a
peaceful
crowd
of
spectators,
which
they
did.
G
I
should
also
note
that,
while
an
unusually
large
amount
of
officers
gathered
at
52nd
and
chestnut,
there
was
not
one
officer
present
at
the
shopping
center
at
52nd
and
jefferson
to
interrupt
the
destruction
happening
there
for
hours
upon
hours,
and
I
know
this
because
I
went
there
also,
I
must
say,
I
felt
endangered
violated
and
disrespected
my
life
matters,
my
son's
life
matters
and
black
lives
matter.
I
was
born
and
raised
in
west
philadelphia
and
though
I
no
longer
live
there.
G
I
love
west
philadelphia
and
I
still
work
there
in
that
community
every
single
day,
I'm
a
former
president
of
the
philadelphia
police
clergy
program
in
the
19th
police
district
and
I
am
pro-police,
but
I
am
anti-bad
cop.
The
police
response
I
observed
on
that
day
was
completely
unnecessary.
In
my
view,
I've
spent
nearly
27
years
supporting
the
police,
the
district
attorney's
office,
my
own
community
escorting
at
least
five
homicide
fugitives
in
at
their
request
and
trying
to
improve
police
community
relations.
G
But
the
police
response
on
that
day
was
totally
unjustified
in
my
opinion,
and
I
am
sure
this
would
have
never
occurred
in
areas
bereft
of
people
of
color.
My
son,
17
year
old
dominic,
said
I
felt
like
this
was
a
movie
or
a
video
game.
It
was
unreal.
It
looked
like
the
military
was
riding
through
the
streets,
tear
gassing
innocent
bystanders.
G
G
There's
a
clear
divide
in
terms
of
us
against
them,
and
the
police
are
clearly
no
longer
there
to
protect
and
serve.
I've
always
taught
my
sons
to
respect
law
enforcement,
but
it's
difficult
when
law
enforcement
has
no
respect
for
african
americans.
My
son's
recollection
represents
the
trauma
he
and
I
received
on
may
31
2020..
G
The
current
climate
demands
the
council
act
and
act
now.
The
time
to
act
is
is
on
serious.
Aggressive
police
reform
is
now
the
time
to
defund.
The
police
department
is
now
the
time
to
demilitarize.
The
police
is
now
police
actions
like
what
we
witnessed
on
may
31
2020,
not
only
increased
the
divide
between
the
police
and
the
community,
but
threatened
the
safety
and
the
well-being
of
our
city,
in
which
you
were
all
elected
to
serve.
Thank
you
for
allowing
me
this
opportunity
to
testify.
B
B
B
B
Another
cop
approached
us
approached
us
while
waving
a
metal
baton
telling
us
to
cross
the
street.
It
was
hard
to
see
that
happen
since
we
were,
since
we
were
there
to
protest,
police
and
justice
to
see
that
it's
like
you,
protested
for
nothing
after
that
incident.
I
never
wanted
to
be
around
the
police.
It
was
a.
It
was
a
hard
thing
to
go
through.
I
never
imagined
I
would
see
something
like
that.
It
was
shocking.
B
It
said
the
police
are
supposed
to
protect
us,
but
I
genuinely
can't
believe
that
from
what
I
saw
with
my
own
eyes,
not
on
tv
or
instagram,
I
will
never.
I
will
never
forget
that
day.
It's
forever
seared
into
my
brain.
It
will
have.
It
will
have
a
negative
impact,
not
just
on
me
as
a
black
youth,
but
on
everybody.
B
B
B
B
I
want
to
see
less
police
on
our
blocks
in
our
schools
and
on
septa.
We
see
police
officers
way
too
often.
I
know
the
city
is
going
through
much
going
through
much
violence
right
now
and
it's
hard
to
cope,
but
we
need
to
come
together
and
find
another
way
to
watch
our
city
without
having
so
many
police
surrounding
us
there's
no
way
for
them
to
sorry,
there's
no
reason
for
them
to
drive
slowly
down
my
block
like
they're,
suspicious
of
black
residents.
B
They
put
a
command
center
in
the
middle
of
our
new
transportation
center
and
every
station
you're
at
there's
a
cop
with
you
at
the
philadelphia
student
union.
We
believe
the
school
district
should
redirect
the
money
it
uses
on
police
to
have
community
members
support
us
in
our
schools.
Community
members
are
the
people
we
trust
more
than
police
officers.
B
They
see
the
things
we
go
through
growing
up
in
philadelphia.
Many
students
are
dealing
with
depression
and
anxiety.
There
are
things
that
weigh
us
down,
but
cops
don't
want
to
deal
with
that.
They
are
just
at.
They
are
just
at
school
and
in
our
community
waiting
for
something
to
happen.
Community
members,
on
the
other
hand,
can
talk
to
students
like
a
second
guidance
counselor.
That's
what
I
want
to
see
more
of
in
our
schools
and
neighborhoods
more
people.
We
trust
thank
you
for
your.
C
A
C
E
C
A
C
J
J
J
J
As
I
walked
up
to
52nd
street,
I
joined
a
few
dozen
other
neighbors
at
52nd
and
spruce
looking
north
and
trying
to
get
a
sense
of
what
was
going
on,
while
also
remaining
at
a
safe
distance.
Within
about
two
minutes,
I
noticed
a
large
dull,
black
armored
truck
that
others
have
called
a
tank
here.
I
called
it
a
tank
that
day
there
was
a
large
police
presence
and
there
was
a
number
of
fire
trucks.
A
couple
of
blocks
north
of
us
on
52nd
street
within
another
four
minutes.
J
At
that
point,
most
of
the
group
of
bystanders
I
was
with
ran
south
down
52nd
street
to
get
away
from
the
tear
gas.
My
colleague
reverend
hannah
capaldi,
and
I
didn't
run
fast
enough
at
first
and
I
received
enough
tear
gas
to
my
face
that
I
couldn't
see,
I
was
coughing
and
tears
and
mucus
were
streaming
down
my
face.
J
I
was
luckily
able
to
stumble
back
to
malcolm
x
park
and
wait
in
the
breeze
until
my
eyes
and
my
nose
and
my
mouth
cleared
out
after
both
of
us
had
mostly
recovered.
We
decided
to
return
to
52nd
street
and
were
eventually
joined
by
four
other
clergy
colleagues,
from
various
faith
traditions,
including
reverend
mark
tyler,
who
spoke
earlier.
J
We
moved
north
as
far
up
as
chestnut
street
before
needing
to
to
run
east
down
chestnut
towards
51st,
to
narrowly
avoid
being
shot
by
the
police
with
tear
gas
canisters
and
someone
before
showed
one
of
the
ones
that
she
had
picked
up.
This
is
the
one
that
I
picked
up
afterwards.
That
day,
there
there
were
a
number
of
different
sizes
and
shapes,
and
all
of
them
were
lethal
over
the
next
two
or
three
hours.
J
J
J
The
police,
tear
gas
past
toddlers
and
mothers
standing
on
their
second
and
third
floor
porches
on
walnut
street,
and
I
want
to
be
really
crystal
clear
that
this
happened
in
a
black
neighborhood.
There
are
white
people
like
myself
and
people
of
other
racial
identities
who
live
here,
but
the
vast
majority
of
my
neighborhood
is
black.
The
vast
majority
of
the
police
force
that
I
saw
that
day
were
white.
J
In
a
week
where
armed
vigilantes
in
white
neighborhoods
in
philadelphia
were
receiving
high
fives
from
the
police,
black
children
and
black
elders
and
black
people
in
wheelchairs
and
black
families
were
being
indiscriminately
tear
gassed
in
my
neighborhood
as
a
resident
of
west
philadelphia
as
a
human
being.
Who
knows
that
lives
matter
more
than
property
as
a
white
person
who
believes
with
all
her
soul,
that
black
lives
matter
and
as
a
clergy
person
who
has
devoted
her
life
to
honoring
the
inherent
worth
and
dignity
of
all
people?
J
B
B
B
B
B
B
Once
we
got
there,
there
were
just
a
young,
a
bunch
of
young
people
standing
around.
No
one
was
getting
hurt.
No
one
was
in
immediate
danger.
Yes,
people
were
looting
and
I
mean
looting
loosely,
but
to
be
fair,
they
had
been
in
the
house
for
months,
the
government,
both
local
and
federal
weren't,
doing
anything
to
provide
relief
and
the
city
couldn't
even
get
comcast,
which
paid
no
income
taxes
in
the
city
of
philadelphia
and
has
two
large
buildings
in
the
city
of
philadelphia
to
give
its
residents
free
wi-fi.
B
B
So
when
the
helicopters
began
to
circle,
we
kept
standing,
some
people
began
playing
music.
Most
people
were
standing
there.
Talking
again,
no
one
was
in
immediate
danger:
I'm
not
sure
how
the
fire
got
started
on
the
corner
or
who
opened
the
pharmacy
on
the
corner.
But
what
I
do
remember
is
the
people
rushing
into
the
store
and
then
the
fire
truck
pulling
up
once
the
fire
truck
got
to
the
corner,
two
swat
trucks
fed
down
the
street
and
stopped
on
the
corner.
B
We
were
standing
there
still
waiting
to
see
what
would
happen,
making
sure
no
harm
came
to
the
bookstore.
That
was
our
main
concern
and
suddenly
a
swat
officer
gets
out
of
the
back
of
the
swat
swat
vehicle.
Excuse
me
without
a
warning
shot
without
warning
language,
he
aimed
the
tear
gas
canister
directly
at
me,
because
I
was
standing
in
the
middle
of
the
block
shot
one
into
the
air
and
another
directly
at
us.
B
Like
reverend
abby
said
I
could
not
outrun
the
tear
gas
canister
and
immediately
felt
the
sting
of
tear
gas
in
my
lungs
and
eyes.
I
sped
down
an
adjacent
block
where
my
friends
lived
and
went
directly
into
their
apartment
and
began
first
washing
making
sure
they
washed
their
faces
and
hands
then
rushed
to
the
window
and
made
sure
that
the
neighbors
also
knew
to
wash
their
faces
in
hand.
B
Once
the
initials
thing
went
away
and
I
was
able
to
take
care
of
myself,
we
went
back
outside
to
check
on
others
who
were
out
there
with
us
as
we
made
our
way
down
the
blocks.
We
told
the
older
folks
who
had
been
sitting
on
their
porches
to
go
inside
and
close
their
windows.
We
were
sure
that
more
tear
gas
and
swap
cars
were
going
to
come
as
I
continue
to
reflect
on
the
weight
of
that
experience.
B
B
I
hope
my
hope
is
that
this
is
not.
Not
only
does
this
never
happen
again.
Excuse
me,
but
that
philadelphia's
local
government
will
no
longer
support
the
increasing
of
a
budget
to
allow
things
like
swat
cars
and
tear
gas
guns
to
be
purchased
before
its
citizens
have
schools
that
function
properly,
affordable
housing
and
access
to
affordable
health
care.
F
K
Good
afternoon
my
name
is
judith
palmer.
I
live
in
cobb's
creek.
On
the
afternoon
of
may
31st,
I
learned
of
a
large
police
presence
on
52nd
street,
having
heard
about
the
extreme
use
of
force
by
police
at
protests.
Earlier
that
weekend,
I
decided
to
be
a
witness
in
case
the
situation
on
52nd
street
escalated.
K
K
K
The
police
cannot
be
trusted
with
weapons
like
pepper
spray
and
rubber
bullets,
or
any
tactics
banned
by
international
law,
and
they
should
surrender
all
military
hardware
obtained
through
the
department
of
defense.
We
are
not
enemy.
Combatants,
moreover,
the
city
is
responsible
for
holding
police
accountable.
K
We
need
drastically
increased
transparency,
about
complaints
against
police
and
subsequent
investigations,
and
we
need
the
city
to
prioritize
preparations
for
grievance
arbitration,
where
violent
cops
so
often
get
discipline
overturned
and
for
interest
arbitration
where
police
pile
up
protections
and
loopholes
that
benefit
them
at
the
expense
of
the
residents
of
philadelphia.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
L
L
L
Cars
with
unaware
passengers
stuck
on
52nd
street
had
to
quickly
roll
up
their
windows
as
their
vehicles
filled
with
tear
gas,
a
helicopter
loudly
hovered
above
making
its
gaze.
No,
I
tried
to
escape
to
a
residential
block
on
52nd
street
in
delancey,
where
there
were
no
protesters
still
police
shot
a
tear
gas
canister
down
this
block
near
me.
My
vision
got
really
bad
at
this
point
and
I
stumbled
or
hit
things
while
biking
and
fell
over
several
times.
L
L
L
This
incident
has
left
me
and
my
community
feeling
traumatized
the
disdain
and
lack
of
compassion
for
the
violence
imposed
on
a
black
majority
community
was
underscored
when
less
than
a
month
later
kenny
and
outlaw
apologized
for
what
happened
to
protesters
on
I-676
and
made
it
seem
like
the
people
harmed
in
west
philadelphia
deserved.
It
here
are
changes.
L
I'd
like
to
see
a
new
vision
for
de-escalating
crowds,
with
roles
for
transparent
communication,
to
inform
citizens,
about
the
intentions
of
police
and
trained
mediators,
to
listen
to
the
demands
of
protesters,
demilitarization
of
the
police
department
and
an
end
to
chemical
weapons
and
rubber
bullets
being
used
on
residents.
We
need
greater
transparency
about
what
police
are
doing.
We
need
real
discipline
for
police
who
behave
badly.
L
Those
who
made
the
orders
to
deploy
chemical
agents
in
in
the
residential
neighborhood
should
resign
or
be
fired.
We
also
need
higher
expectations
for
what
the
city
can
do
and
their
role
managing
the
police.
They
need
to
hold
police
accountable
and
they
fail
to
do
so
when
they
agree
to
bad
contracts
with
the
fop.
L
C
I
I
I
Several
minutes
after
I
arrived
an
armored
vehicle
came
from
behind
the
police,
barricade
at
the
intersection
of
52nd
and
chestnut
streets
and
police
began
to
fire
tear
grass
indiscriminately
from
the
vehicle,
along
with
many
other
people
gathered
there.
I
ran
down
52nd
street
towards
sampson
street
in
an
effort
to
avoid
the
tear
gas
minutes
later
I
walked
back
towards
chestnut
street.
There
were
very
few
people
there.
I
I
I
was
struck
on
my
backside
as
I
was
running,
and
I
saw
that
the
rubber
bullets
were
both
behind
me
and
in
front
of
me
when
I
realized
that
I
might
be
running
forward
into
more
rubber
bullets.
I
inst
instinctively
sought
to
protect
myself
by
diving
towards
the
ground,
as
I
did
so.
I
was
struck
in
the
head.
I
I
I
I
discovered
another
wound
underneath
my
hair
that
evening
after
I
got
home
from
the
hospital
in
the
week
following,
I
had
severe
headaches
and
head
pain
and
had
difficulty
reading
and
writing
in
the
months
following
the
incident,
I
have
experienced
episodes
of
panic
and
anxiety
as
a
result
of
specific
triggers,
which
remind
me
of
the
event
I
remember
speaking
with
a
medical
professional.
After
the
event,
he
asked
me
as
he
removed
my
stitches
about
what
happened.
A
C
N
N
Suddenly,
I
saw
an
elderly
woman
stumble
onto
the
street
who
had
been
hit
in
the
face
by
a
rubber
bullet
dazed.
She
said
she
didn't
understand
why
she
had
been
shot
still
unclear
about
what
was
happening.
I
watched
as
residents
named
by
rubber
bullets
and
others
who
struggled
to
breathe
emerged
from
the
white
smoke
starting
to
gather
on
walnut
street
around
4
45
pm.
I
saw
police
officers,
fire
tear
gas
and
rubber
bullets
at
people
gathered
on
the
52nd
street
corridor,
which
started
a
stampede.
N
N
Thankfully,
a
volunteer
street
medic
helped
flesh
my
eyes
with
water,
even
in
the
midst
of
fearing
for
my
safety
from
police
use
of
excessive
and
indiscriminate
force,
I
was
worried
about
copin
19
exposure,
as
I
had
to
remove
my
now
soiled
mask
and
was
being
coughed
on
by
people
in
the
same
condition
as
the
police
continued
to
shoot
gas.
I
tried
to
run
home
to
escape
the
scene,
but,
as
I
turned
onto
chancellor
gas,
canisters
were
released
on
the
residential
streets,
thus
hitting
me
with
tear
gas
again.
N
When
I
finally
reached
my
home,
it
was
full
of
tear
gas
forcing
me
to
go
back
outside
the
ppd
armored
vehicles.
Continued
moving
south
on
52nd
street
firing,
tear
gas
onto
other
residential
blasts.
I
witnessed
neighbors
incapacitated
by
gas
due
to
bad
asthma
reactions.
It
wasn't
cops
who
helped
neighbors
yelling
in
the
street
for
assistance.
N
N
I
never
heard
or
saw
police
attempt
to
communicate
with
us
or
warn
us
before
using
tear
gas
or
rubber
bullets.
I
was
terrified
by
what
I
witnessed
that
day.
It
was
clear
that
the
philadelphia
police
department
believed
they
were
at
war
with
us
in
the
name
of
quote-unquote,
protecting
us
and
our
property.
N
N
N
I
am
deeply
saddened
to
see
that
despite
history-making
protests
demanding
justice
by
a
way
of
defunding
police,
the
city
council
overwhelmingly
voted
to
maintain
the
bloated
peace
budget.
I
question
the
efficacy
of
processes
like
these
when,
in
action
those
we
vote
on
into
office,
don't
have
our
backs.
I
want
to
know
what
exactly
can
be
done
to
defund
the
ppd
and
institute
police-free
alternatives
to
public
safety.
O
O
I'm
an
english
professor
at
community
college
of
philadelphia,
where
I
am
also
active
in
our
faculty
and
staff
union.
Although
I
should
say
that
I'm
giving
this
testimony
as
an
individual
and
not
as
an
official
spokesperson
for
the
college
or
our
union,
I
live
in
west
philadelphia.
Only
a
few
blocks
from
52nd
street.
O
What
happened
that
day
was
a
massive
police,
overresponse
of
indiscriminate
and
excessive
force
against
my
neighbors
and
me
I
left
my
house
around
4
30
pm
that
day.
Just
a
few
minutes
later,
I
smelled
tear
gas
for
the
first
time
that
day
and
encountered
several
people
coming
from
the
direction
of
52nd
street,
who
were
clearly
suffering,
presumably
from
having
been
teargassed
by
the
police.
O
O
O
O
I
joined
a
group
of
protesters
and
was
non-violently
protesting
and
observing
the
police
about
10
to
15
minutes
after
I
joined
this
group
of
protesters
at
least
two
police
officers
in
riot
gear,
without
giving
any
warning
or
order
to
disperse
through
tear
gas
canisters
into
the
crowd.
I
was
a
part
of
this
crowd
was
predominantly
people
who
appeared
to
be
black
and
included
several
people
who
appeared
to
be
teenage
children
as
I
and
everyone
in
the
area,
except
for
the
police,
began
moving
quickly
west
on
chestnut
away
from
the
police.
O
The
police
deployed
a
second
volley
of
tear
gas,
even
though
the
crowd
was
already
moving
west
away
from
the
police,
the
foot,
locker
and
52nd
street,
in
addition
to
the
tear
gas
and
less
lethal
munitions
used
by
the
police
social
distancing
due
to
covet
19,
which
many
people
had
maintained
before
the
police
became
violent,
broke
down.
In
the
confusion
and
quick
movement
of
the
crowd
after
the
police
violence
began.
O
I
also
noticed
that
several
police
officers
were
not
wearing
masks
or
were
not
wearing
them
properly.
Before
and
during
this
incident,
I
now
know
what
I
experienced
and
witnessed
was
only
one
example
of
the
police
violence
that
occurred
in
my
neighborhood.
That
day,
I'm
disappointed
the
police
used
violence
against
me
and
violated
my
civil
rights,
but
more
than
that,
I
am
angry
at
the
way
the
city
and
the
police
treated
my
neighbors.
That
day,
I
am
also
angry
at
the
way
the
city
and
the
police
have
historically
treated
my
neighbors.
O
Organizations
such
as
the
naacp,
the
movement
for
black
lives,
black
philly,
radical
collective
amazon
law
project,
the
marshall
project,
aclu
and
others
offer
significant
resources
and
information
regarding
police
reform,
criminal
justice
reform
or
police
abolition
that,
I
believe,
could
serve
as
a
valuable
foundation
as
we
decide
as
a
city
how
to
end
police
brutality
and
racism
and
invest
in
the
things
that
make
a
city
safer,
health,
education,
community,
shared
prosperity
and
justice.
Thank
you.
C
A
F
Thank
you
city,
council
members
for
listening
to
our
testimony
and
thank
you
to
all
who
have
testified
thus
far.
My
name
is
monica
allison
and
I
am
a
committee
person
in
the
third
ward,
co-founder
of
the
neighborhood
association
and
rco
cobs,
creek
neighbors,
long-time
west
philadelphia
resident
and
the
west
philadelphia
coordinator
for
an
early
learning
literacy
program.
F
F
F
They
were
met
with
rubber
bullets,
tear
gas
and
tanks
from
other
areas.
Literally,
the
thing
everyone
was
out
there
protesting
the
calls
I
began
receiving
were
regarding
the
police
response
to
the
protests
again
for
the
record.
Looting
and
rioting
is
not
the
answer,
but
the
majority
of
the
protesting
was
peaceful.
F
F
There
was
no
concern
for
the
small
streets
that
flanked
the
commercial
corridor,
no
concern
for
elderly
or
children,
those
with
health
issues.
None
of
that
was
taken
into
consideration
when
the
tear
gas
was
released.
Those
are
the
people
we
at
cops.
Creek
neighbors
heard
from
there
were
calls
when
the
scepter
buses
moved
into
52nd
street
carrying
officers,
and
they
were
asking.
How
can
we
get
them
out
of
the
neighborhood,
because
their
very
presence
was
creating
more
problems
than
before
they
showed
up
the
police
created
a
adversarial
position.
F
F
I
watched
as
the
stores
along
52nd
street
were
looted,
but
the
officers
concentrated
on
the
protesters.
It
would
have
been
a
simple
strategy
if
saving
property
was
the
issue
to
allow
protesters
to
continue
marching
away
from
52nd
street
and
protect
the
corridor
and
its
property.
If
that
was
the
initial
intent,
the
police
clearly
communicated
that
we
were
less
than
human
and
the
city
looked
the
other
way
who
gave
the
order
to
use
tear
gas.
F
The
zip
code
of
19143
has
one
of
the
highest
populations
of
seniors
in
the
entire
city.
No
one
took
them
into
account
when
the
decision
was
made.
Protesters
were
unarmed,
but
were
teargassed
as
residents
neighbors
and
constituents,
just
as
we
never
want
another
bomb
dropped
on
us.
We
never
want
tear
gas
used
in
our
neighborhoods.
F
C
A
K
C
Q
A
K
K
While
I
was
outside,
I
did
see
a
lot
of
police
like
shoving
and
just
pushing
and
shouting
making
a
pen
situation
even
more
tense.
They
didn't
really
try
their
best.
I
don't,
I
would
say,
to
distinguish
between
who
was
protesters
and
who
was
writers
and
who
may
have
just
been
trying
to
get
home,
so
everyone
kind
of
was
treated
the
same
and
for
the
people
who
were
outside,
who
weren't
doing
anything
or
who
were
innocent.
It's
a
it's
a
traumatic
experience
to
go
through.
H
Q
H
K
E
A
E
E
O
O
On
june
1st
2020,
I
was
attending
a
protest
in
center
city
at
the
police
headquarters
that
became
a
march
to
the
vine
street
expressway.
I
made
my
way
onto
the
expressway
with
a
friend,
matt
ober,
with
no
problem.
The
cars
were
honking
with
the
marchers,
and
drivers
were
throwing
their
fists
up
in
solidarity
with
us.
When
we
arrived
at
an
underpass
by
the
franklin
institute,
a
stampede
occurred
forcing
myself
and
my
friend
up
onto
a
steep
incline
to
the
side
of
the
road.
O
O
There
was
no
clear
communication
between
protesters
and
law
enforcement
from
what
I
could
tell
suddenly.
My
throat
started
to
burn
along
with
my
eyes.
We
realized
that
tear
gas
had
been
deployed,
so
we
escaped
to
a
tall
fence
around
the
embankment.
My
friend
and
I
hoisted
people
up
to
get
over
the
fence
and
safely
onto
the
parkway.
The
tear
gas
was
oppressive
and
showed
no
sign
of
letting
up.
People
were
choking,
coughing
and
spitting
all
around
me.
O
Just
then,
a
body
fell
from
above
and
hit
me
with
all
its
weight.
My
left
shoulder
dislocated
from
the
impact,
and
I
blacked
out
for
a
moment
a
few
people
held
me
up
from
the
ground
and
lifting
me
up
the
fence.
As
I
was
going
over
the
fence,
my
shoulder
popped
back
into
place
and
a
helicopter
blared
a
siren
low
to
the
ground.
It
was
all
very
dystopian,
my
friend
and
I
got
away
and
safely
back
to
our
home
in
west
philly.
O
I
woke
up
to
panic
attacks
in
the
weeks
following
the
protest,
and
I
continue
to
be
startled
by
loud
noises
and
sudden
movements.
I
also
had
an
mri
that
shows
that
I
need
surgery
on
my
shoulder.
I
don't
believe
the
police
handled
the
situation
right
and
I
don't
trust
them
in
the
slightest
now.
I
believe
that
defunding
them
toward
eventual
abolition
is
the
only
option
for
our
communities
to
feel
safe
and
protected
going
forward.
Thank
you.
R
R
Good
evening,
council
members
and
fellow
community
members,
my
name
is
maxwell
hibbard
I
live
in
west
philadelphia.
I
attended
philly
public
schools
and
I'm
now
a
teacher
in
the
school
district
of
philadelphia,
I'm
very
proud
to
have
grown
up
in
philadelphia
and
to
be
able
to
give
back
to
my
community
as
a
teacher.
R
R
R
Getting
out
of
there,
it
was
terrifying
every
day
I
wake
up
in
the
morning,
and
I'm
I'm
right
there
reliving
it.
My
girlfriend's
eyes
and
face
are
burning.
I'm
helping
her
up
the
hilly
embankment
because
she
can
barely
see
there's
innocent
people
on
the
ground.
Coughing
and
wheezing
smoke
bombs,
tear
gas
canisters
flying
towards
us.
R
R
C
R
R
R
All
my
students
live
in
west
philly.
None
of
them
were
able
to
sleep
for
two
nights
in
a
row.
The
sirens
explosions
violence,
the
hatred
they
heard
that
night
by
the
police.
It
was
heartbreaking
and
the
kids
weren't
even
out
there
protesting
they
were
in
their
homes
lying
in
their
beds,
shaking
in
fear.
R
R
R
M
M
Before
I
left
for
the
protest,
my
mom,
dad
friends
and
family
told
me
to
be
safe,
be
safe.
I've
never
thrown
a
rock
or
broken
a
window
in
my
life.
Now
I
realize
this
was
my
privilege.
It
was
the
police,
it
it
told
me.
The
police
would
see
me
as
peaceful.
I
would
be
fine,
as
I
recall
the
screams
and
sobs.
Now
I
realize
how
very
wrong
I
was.
M
M
In
my
husband
chris
romano's
submitted
testimony,
he
articulates
the
feeling
of
tear
gas
status.
You
feel,
like
you
were
being
strangled
to
death
with
lingering
after
effects
such
as
blurred
vision,
a
swollen
and
sore
abdomen
languishing
menstrual
trauma,
sleepless
nights,
loss
of
appetite
recurring,
flashbacks
and
social
anxiety
separated
from
my
husband.
We
are
led
in
opposite
directions
at
the
top
of
the
hill.
I
am
bent
over
vomiting
when
an
officer
pushes
me
to
the
ground
and
zip
ties
my
hands
behind
my
back.
M
M
I
start
to
feel
like
I
might
not
die.
Only
to
realize
that
I'm
being
arrested,
I
followed,
orders
thanked
every
officer.
Yes,
sir.
Thank
you,
sir.
The
girl
next
to
me
asks
me
to
look
at
her
hand.
She
wants
to
know
what
color
it
is.
It's
turning
purple
I
tell
her
she
tries
to
ask
an
officer
for
help.
M
M
M
M
M
The
fop
has
made
it
clear
that
it
is
not
on
the
side
of
the
people
and
as
a
union
member
myself,
I
know
the
power
and
purpose
of
unions.
Philadelphia
must
break
ties
with
the
fop
police.
Do
not
belong
in
schools;
they
take
31
million
dollars
annually
from
services
that
would
benefit
our
students,
such
as
counselors
social
workers,
asbestos
abatement
and
building
repairs.
M
M
M
You
have
the
power
to
change
the
narrative.
You
have
the
power
to
vote
to
defund
the
police
ban,
these
less
than
lethal
weapons,
break
ties
with
the
fop
and
get
cops
out
of
schools.
Let
philadelphia
the
birthplace
of
america
lead
by
example,
to
the
philadelphia
police
department,
mayor
kenny
and
the
members
of
city
council.
I
ask
who
do
you
protect?
Who
do
you
serve?
Thank
you.
E
K
K
K
K
He
is
a
jesuit,
a
helen,
hayes,
award-winning
actor
and
has
performed
on
the
main
stage
on
many
occasions
and
leading
roles
at
the
walnut
street
theater
ford's
theater
and
recently
the
kennedy
center
with
moe
williams.
The
reason
I
begin,
my
testimony
with
who
we
are
is
because
I
want
you
to
know
we
are
not
troublemakers.
K
K
I
began
this
testament
to
testimony
with
who
we
are
because
our
degrees
awards,
accolades
and
accomplishments
are
as
invisible
to
the
philadelphia
police
department,
as
my
parents,
ivy
league
degrees,
were
back
in
the
70s
when
they
marched
for
the
very
same
issues.
Yes,
we
are
three
generations
marching
against
police
brutality
in
the
city
of
philadelphia.
K
K
It
was
not
just
about
the
police,
they
spoke
about
the
pandemic,
education
and
all
of
the
systems
of
inequity
in
our
city
and
country.
The
crowd
was
celebratory,
and
I
was
very
proud
of
the
young
people
that
were
there,
they
were
taking
care
of
one
another.
They
were
handing
out,
masks
water
signs
and
snacks,
and
I
marched
with
them
all
day.
I
was
there
from
the
beginning
to
the
end
at
about
4
30
p.m.
K
As
I
sat
there,
I
literally
felt
all
my
anger
dissipate
the
kids
and
the
young
people
in
that
group
and
my
son
was
somewhere
in
there
with
them
also,
but
they
came
over
to
us
and
they
offered
us
water
tissues,
loving
words.
They
said
things
to
us.
Like
don't
cry,
we
love
you
guys.
Oh
my
god
we're
with
you
20
minutes
later
we
were
still
sitting
there
and
the
crowd
was
still
passing
us
by
and
we
began
to
hear
canon
light
booms.
K
So
my
sister
niece
and
I
got
up
and
we
ran
over
to
see
what
was
going
on
and
the
police
had
begun,
dropping
tear
gas
at
the
entryway
of
I-76
ramp
to
prevent
the
remaining
protesters
from
entering
the
highway,
of
which
there
was
already
a
very
large
crowd
down.
There
initially,
we
were
running
over
to
join
them
on
the
expressway,
because
from
above
it
looked
really
cool.
K
So
the
thing
that
stopped
us
was
the
ramp
was
blocked.
So
we
marched
along
the
top
with
a
large
group
of
people
cheering
the
protesters
on.
We
were
at
the
top
of
the
ramp
on
21st
street
when
we
saw
police
officers
standing
on
the
median
pepper
spraying.
The
front
line
of
the
protest
under
the
cover
of
the
underpass,
and
let
me
say
that
this
was
our
testimony
before
it
came
out
in
the
new
york
newspaper
that
same
front
line
that
we
have
been
walking
behind
all
day.
K
You
immediately
saw
people
trying
to
disperse,
because
the
ramp
was
being
tear
gas.
There
was
no
retreat
and
from
above
we
began
seeing
police
in
black,
advancing
with
more
tear
gas
and
shooting
rubber
bullets
at
the
same
young
people
who
had
just
showed
us
so
much
love
minutes
before
we
were
at
the
gate.
At
the
top
of
the
hill,
we
watched
the
panic
and
horrific
assault
on
the
protesters
who
tried
to
climb
the
steep
hill.
Many
once
they
got
to
the
top
could
not
climb
the
fence.
K
You
saw
people
screaming
and
yelling
for
help.
I
distinctly
remember
seeing
a
young
girl
who
was
about
17
years
old,
no
more
than
100
pounds
pleading
for
someone
to
help
her
reach
the
top
of
the
gate
to
get
over
two
people
literally
hoisted
her
and
threw
her
over
the
gate.
She
fell
right
to
the
ground,
knocking
everybody
down
and
she
was
screaming
that
her
skin
was
on
fire
and
she
could
not
breathe
and
that
she
could
not
see
those
of
us
on
the
parkway
were
trying
to
help
the
people
literally
falling
over
the
gate.
K
K
K
I
ask
that
you
dismantle
all
systems
of
racism,
including
the
school
district
of
philadelphia
and
the
city
of
philadelphia,
and
I
ask
you
to
act
now
before
the
fourth
generation
of
hankinson's
do
not
have
to
raise
their
families
to
have
to
protest
and
overcome
these
same
racist
systems
of
oppression.
That
myself,
my
children
and
my
parents
had
to
thank
you
for
your
time
and
allowing
me
to
give
my
testimony.
S
S
I
care
deeply
for
the
community.
I
live
in
my
neighbors,
the
families
that
I've
come
to
know
the
children
that
I
see
every
week
at
story
time
the
families
that
I
hear
and
see,
which
is
why,
on
june
1st,
I
decided
to
march
in
protest
of
the
police,
brutality
and
racism
I
witnessed
both
in
my
community
and
in
my
library
on
the
morning
of
june
1st,
I
walked
to
center
city
and
joined
a
group
of
hundreds
calling
for
justice
for
george
floyd's
death,
police
accountability
and
an
end
to
police
brutality.
S
When
I
sat
on
the
highway
in
front
of
traffic,
a
single
state
trooper
drove
his
car
through
the
traffic
and
parked
directly
in
front
of
me
and
the
others
forming
a
barrier.
We
stood
our
ground
and
he
exited
the
car
and
stood
there
for
several
minutes.
The
only
thing
he
said
to
us
was
we
just
want
you
to
be
safe.
S
S
I
stayed
sitting
with
others
at
the
barricade
for
another
10
to
15
minutes.
Throughout
this
time,
protesters
continued
to
head
east
on
the
highway
behind
us
and
we
saw
the
national
guard
and
police
begin
to
arrive
from
the
east.
Pinning
us
in
the
only
verbal
communication
we
received
from
the
police
was
the
one
line
from
the
state
trooper.
No
other
warnings
or
announcements
were
giving
over
megaphone
or
otherwise.
S
After
about
10
minutes,
we
started
hearing
screams
and
we
turned
to
see
people
running
surrounded
by
giant
clouds
of
smoke.
By
the
time
we
had
turned
back
around
the
single
state,
trooper
had
taken
out
two
cans
of
mace
and
began
pepper
spraying.
All
of
us
point
blank
in
the
face
I
couldn't
see
or
breathe,
and
when
I
turned
to
run,
I
was
hit
by
a
cloud
of
tear
gas
that
was
blowing
straight
into
my
face
from
the
other
direction.
S
S
S
K
S
It
felt
like
I
was
being
suffocated
for
the
next
half
hour.
I
tried
using
a
towel
and
water
to
flush
out
my
eyes.
Strangers
would
come
up
to
me
and
help
when
they
could,
when
I
began
to
see
a
bit
better.
I
also
helped
several
strangers
a
teenage
girl
with
asthma,
who's
gasping
for
breath
and
an
older
woman
who's
on
the
side
of
the
highway
suffering
from
tear
gas
that
had
blown
over
to
her
helicopters
continued
to
fly
very
low
over
the
highway
and
dumped
tear
gas.
S
Every
few
minutes
I
stood
with
others
on
a
bridge
looking
over
676,
while
police
cuffed
and
lined
up
protesters
to
be
arrested,
all
of
whom
were
actively
struggling
to
breathe
from
the
tear
gas
and
the
pepper
spray.
While
we
watched
police
would
randomly
shoot
onlookers
on
the
bridge
with
rubber
bullets,
unprovoked
taking
showers
is
one
of
the
best
ways
to
remove
pepper
spray
from
the
skin,
but
it's
also
excruciating
over
the
following
month.
I
took
countless
showers
trying
to
get
rid
of
the
pepper
spray.
S
Every
time
the
water
came
in
contact
with
my
face
arms
or
upper
body,
it
felt
like
being
sprayed
all
over
again
my
skin
burned.
I
started
uncontrollably
coughing
and
if
it
got
into
my
eyes
I
couldn't
see
for
the
next
half
hour.
I
had
second
degree
burns
along
my
upper
back
from
the
spray
and
my
clothes
held
so
much
tear
gas
and
pepper
spray.
I
had
to
throw
them
all
away,
including
my
shoes
anytime.
I
would
sweat
on
my
face.
S
The
events
of
june
1st
were
horrifying
and
mayor
kenny
and
commissioner
outwell's
outright
lies.
The
following
day
were
a
slap
in
the
face
to
me
and
the
community
they
claimed
to
represent
and
serve.
It
stands
as
a
clear
example
of
how
removed
the
ppd
are
from
accountability
or
any
true
understanding
of
how
to
best
serve
their
communities.
S
Apologies
from
the
commissioner
and
mayor
are
also
meaningless
unless
backed
up
with
substantive
action.
Tear
gas
and
chemical
weapons
have
never
been
used
in
peaceful,
peaceful
protest
and
should
never
be
used
again.
The
ppd's
budget
is
astronomical,
while
library,
schools
and
parks
are
given
less
and
less
than
expected
to
make
ends
meet.
S
E
E
T
On
the
afternoon
of
june
1st
2020,
I
joined
the
protests
against
police
overuse
of
force
and
violence
calling
for
justice
for
george
floyd
biana
taylor
and
others.
I
joined
a
group
of
about
a
thousand
at
independence
hall
and
we
marched
across
the
city
until
we
reached
the
ben
franklin
parkway
at
that
time.
T
Shortly
before
the
start
of
the
evening,
some
of
the
protesters
started
to
make
their
way
slowly
onto
the
676
highway
via
the
ramp
just
west
of
22nd
street,
just
as
we
had
been
taking
control
of
smaller
streets
throughout
the
city
in
order
to
non-violently,
disrupt
the
normal
flow
of
life
and
bring
attention
to
the
injustice
and
violence
perpetrated
by
our
current
policing
system.
The
idea
to
take
highways
for
short
periods
of
time
is
the
same,
but
with
elevated
impact.
T
I
crossed
the
westbound
side
of
676
and
hopped
over
the
medium
to
the
eastbound
side,
with
some
difficulty
due
to
my
bike
being
in
tow
protesters
at
this
point
were
walking
eastbound
on
both
sides
and
holding
signs
and
chanting
since
the
police
had
already
closed
a
lot
of
exits
on
and
off
the
highway
to
keep
cars
out
of
center
city.
In
anticipation
of
protests,
the
traffic
was
very
low
on
676.,
the
few
dozen
or
so
cars
were
all
stopped
and
several
honked
their
horns
cheerfully
in
solidarity.
T
T
T
Once
I
was
at
the
bottom
of
the
hill
on
the
westbound
side
of
676,
pops
went
off
again
and
I
saw
smoke.
I
turned
to
my
partner
and
said:
is
that
tear
gas
having
never
in
many
years
of
protesting,
seen
it
used
live
before
the
tear
gas
was
shot
onto
the
ramp?
We
had
used
to
get
on
the
highway,
so
getting
back
up
that
way
was
no
longer
an
option.
T
As
more
pops
went
off
on
both
sides
of
the
overpass.
The
groud
began
to
panic
more.
I
was
still
at
the
bottom
of
the
hill
struggling
to
get
up
with
my
bike
and
tow.
The
ground
was
made
of
really
loose
dirt
and
the
hill
was
very
steep
and
the
tear
gas
had
already
drifted
into
the
crowd.
I
looked
behind
me
and
saw
an
armored
vehicle
on
676,
with
a
state
trooper
on
top
shooting
tear
gas
canisters
directly.
At
me,
these
candidates
landed
directly
into
the
crowd
of
us
on
the
hill.
T
I
heard
someone
next
to
me
yell
that
a
fellow
protester
had
been
hit
and
needed
a
medic.
My
lungs
filled
with
a
burning
sensation
and
myself,
and
everyone
around
me
started
to
cough
wildly.
The
mask
I
was
wearing
due
to
the
kobit
19
pandemic
seemed
to
have
only
trapped
the
tear
gas
powder
close
to
my
face.
I
could
no
longer
see
due
to
my
eyes
burning
at
this
point.
T
I
panicked
feeling
like
if
I
stayed
on
the
hill
one
second
longer,
I
might
die
from
not
being
able
to
breathe
or
that
I
might
be
trampled
by
panicking
protesters.
I
dropped
my
bike
and
crawled
on
my
hands
and
knees
as
fast
as
I
could
up
the
hill.
My
hands
knees,
shins
and
elbows
all
sustained
bleeding
scrapes.
T
Sorry,
we're
being
helped
up
the
last
few
feet
of
the
hill
by
fellow
protesters.
I
helped
them
rinse
out
their
eyes,
and
we
retreated
looking
for
our
friends
who
had
stayed
up
on
the
parkway
tear
gas.
Canisters
landed
up
on
top
of
the
hill,
were
retreating
protesters
were
being
treated
for
injuries
and
tear
gas.
It
looked
like
they
had
been
dropped
from
a
police
helicopter
that
flew
very,
very
low
over
our
heads,
but
I
could
not
be
sure
about
that.
They
may
have
been
tossed
up
from
police
officers
on
the
highway.
T
The
fact
that
I
felt
be
sorry,
the
fear
that
I
felt
being
attacked
by
the
armed
wing
of
my
local
government
for
peacefully
protesting
is
something
that
will
never
leave
me.
The
days
that
followed,
I
struggled
to
reconcile
the
hatred
and
anger.
I
felt
with
my
values
as
a
person
with
compassion
as
someone
who
believes
in
loving
people,
even
when
they
make
mistakes
as
a
christian
who
believes
in
love
thy
neighbor.
Above
all
things.
T
What
I
felt
is
only
a
tiny
slice
of
the
terror
consistently
described
by
black
americans,
who
fear
interactions
with
the
police
and
are
forced
to
watch
the
recorded
executions
of
their
unarmed
community
members
as
part
of
the
spectacle
of
death
and
suffering
caused
by
the
police
in
this
country
to
protest,
death,
murder,
torment
persecution
and
racism
and
have
the
response
of
the
police
be
swiftly
handed
out.
Violence
speaks
volumes.
O
O
After
encountering
an
unannounced
philadelphia
police,
swat
team
on
interstate
676,
who
were
dispersing
tear
gas
and
less
than
lethal
munitions
that
unarmed
protesters
attempted
to
flee
the
highway
but
was
barricaded
by
yet
another
swat
team.
It
was
verbally
directed
by
officers
to
go
on
an
embankment
that
had
no
other
escape
than
a
tall
wall.
O
Quees
continuously
fired,
tear
gas
into
the
open
crowd
and
I
could
not
breathe
nor
see.
Well.
I
realized
that
I
was
too
far
from
the
wall
and
I
did
not
attempt
to
make
it
over.
I
turned
around
with
my
hands
up
to
face
the
swat
officers,
who
were
positioned
on
the
highway
moments.
Later
I
was
struck
on
the
chin
by
a
lesson
lethal
munition.
I
was
immediately
incapacitated
and
in
a
state
of
shock
I
placed
myself
on
the
ground
as
blood
poured
from
my
chin.
Focusedly
solely
excuse
me
on
breathing.
O
I
was
detained
and
restrained
with
plastic.
Zip
ties
I
repeatedly
asked
for
medical
attention,
because
the
pain
from
the
impact
felt
like
my
jaw
was
broken.
I
continued
to
bleed
on
my
clothing
while
detained
and
eventually
what
felt
like
hours.
I
was
taken
off
I-676
to
wait
for
a
paddy
wagon
to
take
me
to
the
hospital
the
vehicle
never
arrived.
O
O
O
O
It
is
important
to
distinguish
that
in
our
society,
black
men,
women
and
children
are
not
confronted
with
less
than
lethal
munitions,
they're
shot
with
real
bullets,
assaulted,
with
knees
to
necks
choke,
holds
and
a
bevy
of
other
excessive
force
strategies
by
police
officers,
with
the
intent
to
kill
and
while
you're
not
going
to
find
cops
indiscriminately
assaulting
or
murdering
white
folks
left
and
right.
You
will
see
them
act
with
excessive
force
towards
the
solidarity
of
the
movement
here
in
philadelphia.
O
We
know
that
armed
vigilante
groups
were
allowed
to
roam
freely
while
wielding
weapons
under
the
guise
of
the
law
and
order
rhetoric
moving
forward.
I
strongly
suggest
that
the
philadelphia
police
department
banned
the
use
of
tear
gas
a
chemical
weapon
banned
from
warfare
and
ceased
the
use
of
less
than
lethal
munitions
on
unarmed
civilians.
O
N
I
I
Two
of
my
friends
and
I
were
protesting
with
a
large
group
on
broad
street
when
the
crowd
started
to
head
towards
the
I-76.
I
was
not
one
of
the
first
on
the
highway.
I
only
followed
the
massive
crowd
once
we
began
marching
down
the
freeway,
I
was
overcome
with
a
sense
of
unity
and
it
was
elated
by
the
huge
turnout
for
the
protest.
I
This
joy's
feeling
soon
faded
when
we
all
heard
deafening
flash
bangs
and
the
crowd
ahead
of
me
quickly
began
to
retreat
and
run
back
towards
the
entrance
of
the
freeway.
At
this
point,
there
was
complete
chaos
and
I
had
lost
both
my
friends
that
had
accompanied
me.
As
I
tried
to
look
for
them.
I
was
met
with
police
armed
in
heavy
riot
gear
and
sprayed
with
pepper
spray.
Without
warning
from
behind.
I
At
this
point
I
was
choking
and
my
nose
felt
like
it
was
on
fire,
as
I
was
gasping
for
air
while
clinging
to
my
friend
and
a
another
young
boy
who
cried
for
his
mom.
We
all
crouched
by
the
wall,
hoping
for
any
type
of
relief
until
summer,
was
forcibly
ripped
off
the
wall
by
an
officer
without
warning.
I
Another
officer
then
motioned
for
me
to
get
up.
I
complied
and,
as
I
attempted
to
exit
again,
I
was
brutally
shoved
from
behind
jumped
on
and
cuffed.
The
officer
then
dragged
me
down
the
dirt
hill
and
ordered
me
to
sit
on
the
highway
divider
for
45
minutes
to
an
hour
before
getting
a
transfer
bus
to
the
precinct.
I
I
want
to
end
by
saying
that
the
actions
I
witnessed
performed
by
performed
by
the
philadelphia
police
force
were
absolutely
unacceptable
and
despicable
as
a
community.
We
can
no
longer
stand
by
and
continue
to
be
martyrs
while
the
people
we
naturally
want
to
recognize,
as
our
protectors
show
such
a
blatant
disregard
for
human
life.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
A
P
P
P
where
we
started
filming,
and
we
saw
a
few
officers
at
the
front
of
dividing
the
protest
and
the
overpass
a
few
officers.
Spraying
pepper
spray
at
the
peaceful
protesters
kneeling
before
them,
seemingly
trying
to
provoke
them
with
some
sort
of
sick
like
glee,
then
suddenly
without
warning.
I
started
to
cough
and
my
eyes
were
burning.
I
didn't
know
what
was
happening
but
could
pretty
immediately
tell
it
was
tear
gas
and
the
that
the
police
had
doused
the
whole
crowd
with
tear
gas.
P
Without
giving
any
warning,
we
immediately
scrambled
up
the
embankment
which
we
had
deemed
the
most
direct
escape
route,
because
there
was
nothing
else
clear
to
us
at
we.
Then
we
saw
at
the
top
a
seven
foot
tall,
seven
or
eight
foot
steel
fence
trapping
everybody
in
and
we
were
lucky
to
be
at
the
already
on
the
embankment
and
so
close
to
the
fence.
P
As
he
said,
someone
fell
on
him
dislocating
his
shoulder
and
we
we
made
sure
he
was
up
and
okay
and
got
him
over
the
fence.
And
then
I
got
myself
over
the
fence
and
we
washed
our
eyes
out
then
escaped
the
range
of
the
tear
gas
cloud
which
which
did
blow
for
a
number
of
blocks.
We
had
to
walk
a
few
blocks
away
from
22nd
earth
wherever.
A
P
676
it
was,
we
had
to
walk
a
few
blocks
away
to
get
out
of
the
range,
and
then
we
were
able
to
make
it
back
to
our
home
in
west
philadelphia
and
for
george
george's.
Shoulder
has
been
in
pain
since
the
incident
and
it
compounded
an
existing
injury
for
him
and,
as
he
said,
he'll
he'll
need
to
get
surgery
on
it
and
for
myself
for
about
two
or
three
weeks
following
the
incident
I
experienced
restlessness
difficulty
focusing
and
insomnia
yeah,
that's
pretty
much
it.
E
Thank
you
so
much
for
testifying
and
again
we're
very
sorry
for
all
that
transpired
and
we
will
take
your
testimony
to
heart.
Well,
the
clerk.
I
think
that
concludes
the
fifth
panel.
We
are
now
moving
into
the
final
panel
and
then
there
will
be
public
comment.
So
will
the
clerk
please
call
the
final
panel
on.
A
Yes,
this
is
sandy
katz,
I'm
a
center
city
resident
and
I'm
61
years
old.
It's
taken
me
a
while
to
be
ready
to
share
my
experiences
from
june
1st,
my
daughter,
molly
and
I
joined
the
protest
in
philadelphia.
We
marched
peacefully
with
the
crowd
as
they
assembled
for
miles.
There
were
thousands
of
us.
The
crowd
grew
bigger
as
we
walked.
Although
I
was
disappointed
to
note
how
few
people
over
35
there
were,
as
the
leaders
of
the
march
peacefully
turned
onto
22nd
street,
they
were
stopped
by
armored
vehicles
and
the
police.
A
Meanwhile,
my
daughter
molly
and
I
in
about
the
middle
of
the
crowd,
marched
with
protesters
who
were
unable
to
to
continue
forward
due
to
the
police
action
ahead
of
us
unaware
of
what
was
going
on
in
front
of
us.
We
followed
the
marchers
onto
the
676
highway
where
we
peacefully
continued
to
march
traffic
was
stopped,
but
there
was
no
violent
behavior
by
the
protesters.
A
A
I
think
the
police
may
have
also
thrown
small
explosives
as
more
gas
was
released
into
the
crowd
we
were
trapped.
I
was
blinded
and
gasping
for
air.
We
dropped
our
signs
and
ran
up
an
embankment,
but
I
was
not
able
to
climb
the
fence
with
there.
We
lost
track
of
each
other
and
I
didn't
realize
it
at
the
time,
but
it
was
a
stranger
and
not
my
daughter
who
lifted
me
over
the
fence,
and
I
came
upon
a
second
fence
that
I
couldn't
scale.
A
Another
stranger
guided
me
since
I
could
no
longer
see
anything
to
a
place
where
I
could
step
past
the
fence
I
stumbled
through
and
was
handed
water
to
douse
my
face
once
I
could
see
again
and
was
no
longer
blinded.
I
looked
for
my
daughter.
In
the
meantime,
she
was
desperately
looking
for
me.
She
regained
her
faculties
when
someone
handed
her
milk
to
wash
off
the
gas
once
reunited.
We
headed
back
to
my
home
in
center
city
so
that
we
could
shower
off
the
noxious
gases.
A
A
A
L
My
name
is
justin
meyer,
I'm
a
34
year
old,
graphic
designer
living
in
center
city
like
to
say
it's
both
an
honor
and
a
privilege
to
speak
before
city
council.
Today.
In
regards
to
the
events
of
june
1st
2020
that
day,
I
participated
in
a
peaceful
protest
as
a
part
of
a
international
civil
rights
response
to
the
deaths
of
brianna
taylor
and
george
floyd
at
the
hands
of
american
police.
L
At
5
pm,
I
met
up
with
two
friends
nina
froggett
and
michelle
uche.
At
8th
and
cherry.
There
was
a
crowd
of
thousands
gathered
on
race,
street
calm
and
responsibly
socially
distancing,
despite
fears
of
covid.
The
mood
that
day
was
actually
light
and
jovial
groups
were
talking
amongst
themselves,
while
volunteers
handed
out
supplies
like
trail
mix,
bars,
bananas,
peanut
butter,
jelly,
sandwiches
and
bottles
of
water
around
30
to
45
minutes
later
the
crab
became
marching.
L
L
L
We
collectively
marched
eastbound
against
the
stop
traffic
on
and
into
the
20th
street
tunnel,
but
within
5-10
minutes
I
heard
a
crashing
noise
and
dozens
of
people
running
back
west
in
a
panic
away
from
clouds
of
smoke.
After
an
instinctive
doubt
of
confusion,
I
sort
of
gathered
my
wits
and
tried
to
find
my
friends
finding
my
friend
michelle,
but
not
nina
crowds
were
immediately
exiting
the
roadway
up
a
hill
that
was
directly
eastbound
of
21st
street,
so
we
followed
suit
at
that
point.
L
Police
appeared
from
both
inside
the
tunnel
and
from
the
eastbound
lane
firing
round
after
round
of
tear
gas
canisters
into
crowds
of
peaceful
protesters,
without
warning
to
disperse
round
after
round
of
tear
gas
canisters
into
crowds
of
peaceful
protesters
trying
to
escape
so
we
all
inhaled,
tear
gas
and
were
completely
incapacitated
unable
to
escape.
I
assisted
my
friend
michelle
and
myself
up
the
hill
and
after
several
minutes
we
found
ourselves
on
the
grass
up
on
the
parkway,
getting
assistance
from
street
medics
within
20
minutes.
We
were
able
to
breathe
again.
L
L
L
Every
one
of
us
suffered
residual
effects,
psychological
and
physical
from
that
gas
attack
for
weeks
to
come
so
criminalizing
the
use
of
chemical
weapons
against
the
civilian
population,
defunding
and
dismantling
this
militarized
police
department
and
distributing
those
taxpayer
dollars
to
much-needed
community
services,
which
would
directly
combat
the
causes
of
crime,
are,
in
my
view,
the
best
way
to
resolve
these
long-standing
social
problems.
I
yield
the
balance
of
my
time.
Thank
you
for
listening
and
I'd
like
to
thank
everyone
else
for
their
testimony.
R
R
My
name
is
matt
sullivan.
I
want
to
thank
everybody
who
took
the
time
to
be
here
today.
I
want
to
thank
everyone.
Who's
testified,
and
I
do
want
to
thank
council
member
again
for
hosting
this
lesson
in
session.
It
is
important
that
everybody
knows
what
the
police
did
on
may
31st
and
on
june
1st,
and
this
has
to
be
the
start,
but
not
the
end
of
efforts
to
make
real
change
in
policing
in
our
city.
I
live
in
westfield
with
my
wife.
While
we
were
on
676,
we
were
also
president
of
52nd
street.
R
R
The
police
had
formed
a
line
near
the
l
and
they
were
staring
protesters
down
from
some
distance
away.
They
had
an
armored
vehicle
behind
them
that
looked
like
a
tank.
The
group
of
protesters
did
have
some
young
teenagers
in
it
and
that
made
it
even
more
shocking
when
not
long
after
we
arrived,
the
police
fired.
R
R
R
Took
the
chance
to
try
to
appeal
to
their
decency,
protesters
spoke
about
the
horror
of
the
murders
of
george
floyd
and
brianna
taylor
and
their
fear
for
their
own
lives
and
the
lives
of
their
families.
One
young
man
walked
down
the
line
of
police,
asking
them
one
by
one
officer.
Do
you
believe
that
black
lives
matter?
Do
you
believe
that
black
lives
matter
people
were
crying
council
member
garcia,
arrived
after
dark
and
spoke
with
some
of
the
other
protesters?
R
When
my
wife
and
I
began
marching
on
676,
I
was
happy
to
see
people
were
getting
out
of
their
cars
and
waving
and
cheering
in
support
of
us.
We
weren't
close
enough
to
the
front
to
even
see
a
line
of
police
when
the
entire
march
turned
as
one
and
began
fleeing
back
to
where
we
had
come
from,
but
the
smell
of
tear
gas
is
unmistakable.
R
R
R
My
wife
and
I
returned
to
the
top
of
the
hill
to
see
if
we
could
help
there
were
arrestees
and
coughs
on
676
and
some
people
were
still
clawing
their
way
up
to
us.
I
went
a
little
bit
of
a
way
down
the
hill
to
see.
If
I
could
help
there
was
one
woman
who's
trying
to
get
to
safety
whose
eyes
were
closing
on
her.
The
police
were
yelling
at
her
to
get
off
at
676
and
she
was
yelling
back
to
them.
Where
am
I
supposed
to
go?
She
sounded
terrified.
R
R
We
were
arrested
later
on
that
night
for
a
curfew
violation.
We
were
loaded
on
sheriff's
department,
buses
for
a
few
hours
before
being
driven
to
a
police
station
near
temple,
cited
and
then
released.
It's
my
understanding
that
those
citations
are
not
going
to
be
enforced,
but
the
effects
of
the
arrest
go
deeper
than
just
a
citation.
R
My
wife
has
had
pain
in
her
wrist
from
being
left
in
two
tight,
zip
coughs
for
too
long,
we're
afraid
that
it
could
be
nerve
damage
my
leg
and
back
and
her
wrist
are
not
the
only
physical
reminders
that
we
have
from
those
two
days.
A
couple
weeks
after
the
arrest,
my
wife
went
to
the
will's
eye
emergency
room
after
temporarily
losing
some
of
her
vision
in
one
eye
the
doctor
said
it
was
could
have
been
from
stress.
R
She
has
also
seen
some
scary
changes
in
her
monthly
cycle
and
after
reading
up
on
tear
gas,
we've
discovered
that
it
can
act
as
an
abortive
passion.
This
has
been
very
hard
for
us
because
we're
trying
to
start
a
family,
the
systemic
racism
that
we
were
out
there
protesting
against
on
those
two
days
has
not
been
solved.
Our
police
departments
have
not
stopped
killing
people
of
color.
R
Our
city
will
be
out
marching
for
justice
again
and
again,
we
will
be
in
the
streets,
no
matter
how
hard
the
police
try
to
silence
us,
but
we
have
enough
martyrs
city.
Council
must
use
its
power
to
save
lives
by
holding
the
police
accountable
and
by
taking
away
the
tools
that
the
police
use
to
silence.
Protest
ban
to
your
guests
van
baton
rounds,
let's
put
an
end
to
police
brutality,
defund
the
police,
black
lives
matter.
A
When
we
got
there,
it
was
like
a
war
zone
not
because
of
riots.
There
was
no
rioting,
there
were
people
who
had
been
gassed
out
of
their
homes.
There
were
people
coming
home
from
or
going
to
work.
There
were
people
taking
their
children
to
the
supermarket,
but
there
was
no
rioting,
there
was
no
rioting,
but
there
was
an
armored
occupying
force
and
pervading
a
sense
of
terror.
A
People
were
standing
there
in
the
street,
hang
on
hanging
on
to
the
sense
that
they
needed
to
be
there,
but
it
was
necessary,
but
as
much
as
anything
else,
people
are
just
wandering
days
just
periodically
running
in
fear
when
the
police
approached
when
they
moved
in
on
us.
It
was
quiet,
no
warning
just
storm
creepers,
grimly
marshing
on
us,
with
the
tank
behind
them,
and
then
shots
fired
and
screams
and
mostly
darkness,
because
it
was
painful
to
open
our
eyes.
A
A
A
We
had
goggles
that
time.
At
least
we
struggled
up
the
hill
through
the
clouds
of
tear
gas
began,
trying
to
help
other
victims
rinse
their
eyes.
People
were
still
trapped
on
the
parkway,
the
police
were
hunting
them
like
animals.
My
husband
went
to
help
a
straggler
up
the
hill.
I
still
waiting
at
the
edge
tearing
up
despite
the
goggles
figuring.
They
need
their
eyes,
for
instance,
once
they
got
up.
A
I
was
far
away
from
the
park
way
up
on
the
hillside
and
a
stormtrooper
spotted
me
aimed
a
rifle
at
me.
He
fired
and
I
ran
again
my
husband
staggered
over
to
me
a
moment
later.
They'd
shot
him
twice
with
baton
rounds
once
in
the
back
once
in
the
thigh.
By
the
evening
his
wounds
would
be
the
size
of
dinner
plates
the
protest.
Then
we
join
a
crowd
kneeling
outside
the
round
house.
Please
join
us
later
that
day
they
arrested
us,
my
husband
and
I
were
walking
on
the
sidewalk
peacefully.
A
A
A
The
cop
guarding
us
looked
like
he
was
about
to
cry.
He
kept
begging
for
our
forgiveness
for
doing
nothing.
He
said
they
would
fire
us
if
he
tried
to
help
us.
It
was
so
painful
for
a
week.
I
would
scream
in
pain
whenever
my
husband
reached
to
touch
my
hand.
It's
been
months.
My
arm
and
my
wrist
still
hurt
from
it.
Sometimes
it
might
be
permanent
nerve
damage.
A
I
had
to
go
to
will's
eyes
hospital
after
it
happened.
I'd
suddenly
begun
losing
vision
in
my
left
eye.
It
cost
us
the
better
part
of
the
thousand
dollars
to
find
out
that
I
had
an
ocular
margarine
for
the
first
time
in
my
life
stress
induces
them
the
doctor
said
a
little
while
after
it
happened,
we
found
out
that
the
gas
is
important.
Fast,
we've
been
trying
to
start
a
family.
A
I'd
started
bleeding
profusely
right
when
the
gassing
first
happens,
we're
still
not
sure
whether
it
was
a
period
or
a
miscarriage.
My
period
since
then
have
been
torturous.
The
last
one
was
so
painful.
It
sent
me
to
bed
for
nearly
three
days,
something
that
hasn't
happened
to
me
since
high
school
this
past
month.
I
had
two
periods
in
the
course
of
less
than
two
weeks.
A
The
gas
is
also
long-term
hormone,
just
after
we
found
out,
so
we
don't
know
when
we'll
be
able
to
have
a
family
after
what's
happened
in
my
system,
I
spent
the
summer
jumping
out
of
my
skin
every
time
a
fire
hacker
went
off.
I
imagined
how
much
worse
this
must
be
for
the
people
who
live
along
52nd
street,
who
never
had
any
say
in
whether
they'd
be
a
part
of
this
who
had
nowhere
to
go,
and
please
gasp
them
with
a
chemical
weapon
aboard
a
fastened
in
the
middle
of
a
pandemic
quarantine.
A
A
I
Q
Q
I
My
name
is
yesenia
gutierrez,
not
rodriguez,
I'm
a
resident
of
cops
creek
in
west
philly
and
an
organizer
with
pen
community
for
justice
as
well
as
socialist
alternative.
On
june
1st,
I
joined
thousands
of
philadelphians
protesting
against
the
brutal
murder
of
george
floyd
by
police,
the
most
recent
flashpoint
in
a
long
history
of
white
supremacist
police
brutality,
which
includes
their
origins
as
slave
catchers,
the
1985
move
bombing
and
rizzo's
administration.
I
As
we
marched
suddenly
and
without
warning,
we
were
tear
gassed
by
police.
I
avoided
the
worst
of
this
initial
attack,
but,
as
I
helped
other
protesters
trying
to
escape
this
chemical
weapon,
I
was
gassed
again
kind
strangers
gave
me
water
and
flushed
my
eyes
as
I
struggled
to
breathe
when
I
asked
a
group
of
very
young
protesters
trapped
by
tear
gas
and
police
in
rio
gear
if
they
needed
anything,
an
officer
not
10
feet
away,
pointed
his
gun
at
me
across
the
gate
along
676.
I
Thankfully,
unlike
my
friends,
I
was
not
hit
with
rubber
bullets
in
the
head
and
legs
the
previous
night,
the
ppd,
with
the
help
of
private
police
forces
like
penn
and
drexel
police
terrorized
residential
communities
along
52nd
street.
For
days
I
heard
constant
sires
and
flashbangs
from
my
cops
creek
home.
These
did
not
make
me
feel
safe.
They
were
not
meant
to.
They
reminded
me
that
the
police
were
everywhere,
they
were
riled
up
and
they
had
the
budget
and
militarized
equipment
to
continue
their
assault
until
they
thought
we
were
back
in
our
place.
I
These
experiences
are
a
drop
in
the
ocean
compared
to
the
terror
that
police
and
other
forces
like
ice
instill
in
working-class
people,
people
of
color
indigenous
people,
and
particularly
black
people
across
this
country,
to
be
crystal
clear
in
the
midst
of
worldwide
historic
protests
against
police
brutality,
police
assaults
on
676
and
on
52nd
street
and
a
new
york
times,
article
forcing
mayor,
kenny
and
police
commissioner,
outlaw
to
admit
their
sanctioning
of
police
violence
against
residents.
Mayor
kenny
proposed
a
budget
laying
off
hundreds
of
city
workers
and
cutting
vital
city
services.
I
Every
democratic
member
of
city
council
voted
to
approve
mayor
kenny's
over
700
million
dollar
police
budget,
making
it
by
far
the
largest
city
department.
Since
he
took
office.
Mayor
kenny
and
city
council
have
increased
the
police
budget
by
120
million
dollars.
If
we
weren't
vigilant
and
organized
and
relentlessly
protesting
this
year,
they
would
have
increased
it
again
and
if
we
do
not
stay
organized,
they
will
increase
it
again
next
year.
I
am
not
asking
city
council
for
band-aid
legislation.
I
I
am
not
asking
city
council
to
move
crossing
guards
from
the
police
budget
to
another
department
and
call
this
a
decrease
in
the
budget
as
they
did
this
year
or
to
use
the
language
of
quote
reforms
unquote,
like
proposed
body,
cams,
equity
manager
and
implicit
bias,
training
reforms
that
have
been
tried
nationwide
for
decades
and
have
been
shown
to
be
futile
at
eliminating
police
brutality
instead
serving
to
increase
police
budgets
or
for
city
council.
Mayor
kenny
and
police
commissioner
outlaw
to
use
crime
as
an
excuse
to
increase
technological
police
surveillance
of
working-class
black
communities.
I
The
police
budget
city
council
should
also
support
organizers,
demanding
multi-billion
dollar
non-profits,
like
penn,
contribute
to
pilots
and
tax
wealthy
corporations
like
comcast
to
fund
city
services.
These
should
be
no-brainers
that
city
council
is
truly
dedicated
to
reducing
the
violence
in
this
city.
Thank
you.
A
P
Good
evening,
everyone,
my
name,
is
chris
canido,
I'm
a
social
worker
graduate
student
in
west
philadelphia,
resident
and
organizer
with
penn
community
justice
who
was
attacked
on
I-676
by
ppd.
On
june
1st,
I
want
to
say
thank
you
to
everyone
who
shared
their
stories
today
and
opening
up
a
piece
of
themselves.
I
honestly
hope
you
can
find
some
peace
and
respite
ahead.
I
want
to
thank
the
council
members
for
creating
the
space,
but
this
hearing
represents
a
repetitive
cycle.
P
Our
city
and
nation
will
continue
to
face
because
we
have
never
properly
unpacked
acknowled,
acknowledged
or
reconciled
how
our
nation's
original
racism
is
weaved
into
our
public
institutions,
particularly
public
safety
through
policing,
council
members.
You
are
already
part
of
the
current
cycle
of
trauma.
You
now
have
the
opportunity
to
be
part
of
transformative
healing
as
a
social
worker.
I
am
well
aware
of
the
effects
trauma
has
on
our
bodies
our
minds
and
how
it
ripples
across
generations
and
communities.
P
I
focus
on
global
human
rights
and
public
health,
I'm
at
a
loss
of
words
of
how
these
concepts
were
ignored
through
tax
paid
violence
by
ppd
amidst
the
pandemic
as
traumatic
as
my
experience
on
I-676
was.
It
is
nothing
compared
to
what
consistently
happens
to
black
indigenous
and
people
of
color's
bodies
and
minds
across
generations,
from
arms
of
the
state,
such
as
police
and
ice
on
june
1st,
I
honestly
did
not
think
I
had
enough
air
in
my
lungs
to
make
it
over
the
fence
on
the
embankment.
I
truthfully
thought
I
was
going
to
die.
P
I
am
saying
that
as
someone
who
has
been
exposed
to
violence
to
vicarious
trauma
and
loss
of
life,
while
serving
in
the
field
I
felt
like
I
was
about
to
choke
or
be
trampled
to
death.
Painfully,
what
hurt
more
was
imagining
our
my
loved
ones
would
feel
if
I
were
to
die
on
that
hill.
I
did
not
push
that
experience
onto
anyone.
P
Seeing
the
police
and
their
riot
gear
come
up.
The
hill
through
the
smoke
looked
like
something
out
of
a
dystopian
nightmare.
I
was
surrounded
by
screaming
and
the
sounds
of
people
wretching
in
panic,
as
we
were,
blinded
by
gas,
I
was
surrounded
by
people
screaming.
I
don't
want
to
die,
I
don't
want
to
die
by
blood
by
vomit
and
dirt
as
smoke
and
gas
engulfed
us
burning
our
eyes
and
our
throats.
P
I
also
saw
a
beauty
from
the
very
protesters
who
were
attacked,
helping
each
other
climb,
calm
themselves
and
find
safety.
What
would
this
hearing
look
like
if
someone
died
on
that
embankment
on
52nd
street?
After
bouncing
on
a
bike
to
get
over
the
fence?
I
was
still
met
with
tear
gas,
and
many
of
us
walked
to
city
hall
in
a
daze
only
to
be
met
by
the
national
guard.
P
P
This
city's
leadership
has
not
condemned
the
attacks
on
52nd
street,
a
predominantly
black
neighborhood
minutes
away
from
the
site
of
the
move
bombing.
I
hope
mayor
kenny
feels
ashamed
for
his
role
in
this.
I
hope
you
act
boldly
and
with
humanity
going
forward,
I'm
disappointed
by
your
lack
of
acknowledgement
and
action
by
continuing
to
fund
the
ppd,
the
same
force
who
the
plainview
project
found
in
2019
to
have
over
300
officers,
posting
racist,
bigoted
and
violent
content
on
social
media.
P
Many
who
were
in
leadership
positions,
acknowledgement
naming
and
ownership
paved
the
way
for
healing
and
restoration
of
oneself.
The
same
is
true
on
a
societal
level.
Our
institutions,
policies
and
laws
are
primed
to
foster
social
inequity
and
ignore
long-standing
racial
traumas.
We
need
to
acknowledge
these
hard
truths
because
when
they
are
ignored,
cycles
of
harm
continue.
P
P
There
are
steps
we
can
take
into
in
the
present
to
point
us
in
that
direction.
I
could
see
the
humanity
in
many
officers
eyes
when
I'm
out
there,
and
I
could
see
the
humanity
in
yours
to
acknowledge
the
inhumane
practices
within
our
institutions
and
act
to
call
out
the
flaws
of
our
public
safety
systems
like
within
the
ppd,
which
is
skilled
at
protecting
officers
when
they
commit
violence.
Yet
denies
the
very
justice
for
members
of
the
public
that
when
violence
is
directed
at
them,
our
city
might
have
more
financial
flexibility
to
support
the
community.
P
If
we
didn't
historically
gentrify
and
separate
our
neighborhoods
along
racial
and
class
lines,
we
may
experience
more
hearings
like
today,
if
you
act
boldly
and
commit
to
transform
transformative
change
by
defunding
and
demilitarizing
the
tpd
over
the
next
five
years,
and
investing
in
our
communities
investing
in
housing
and
healthcare
and
substance,
treatment
and
quality
education,
which
are
key
determinants
for
many
of
the
crimes.
Our
city
experiences
commit
to
a
plan,
challenge
your
roles
and
bring
us
all
to
the
table,
so
we
can
pave
a
way
forward.
During
these
moments.
P
In
history,
leaders
have
attended
sea
for
half
measures.
I'm
asking
you
to
break
that
cycle,
their
communities,
organizations
who
have
done
this
work
long
without
the
power
of
a
podium,
pen
or
pocketbook
that
you
have
angela
davis,
said
the
issues
we
ignored
in
the
1860s
were
being
fought
for
again
in
the
1960s.
P
What
will
2060
look
like
what
is
going
to
happen
when
the
next
george
floyd
is
caught
on
camera?
What,
if
that
happens
in
philadelphia,
given
to
what
you've
been
exposed
to
today?
Will
you
commit
to
break
these
cycles
of
trauma
within
our
city
and
our
nation,
or
will
you
repeat,
history
through
inaction,
denial
and
ignoring
the
very
trauma
of
the
people
you
serve?
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
time.
Q
Q
Q
I
was
at
52nd
and
market
just
before
two
and
it
was
quiet
get
right
after
two
ppd
sends
11
cars
to
shut
down
the
intersection
and
establish
a
field
command.
I
returned
to
3
30..
There
was
already
tear
gas
in
the
air,
dozens
of
police
vehicles,
two
tanks
and
countless
cops.
Many
in
riot
gear,
multiple
swat
teams,
one
from
upenn
cops
later
said
they
thought
they'd
have
to
shoot
their
way
out
of
this
intersection.
Q
I
was
at
that
intersection.
One
of
maybe
four
adults
there
before
4
pm
and
the
rest
of
this
alleged
mob
was
a
group
of
maybe
30
angry
children.
None
looked
older
than
16
and
one
was
a
nine-year-old
girl.
There
was
no
press
because
cops
staged
under
the
train
tracks.
None
of
this
is
on
the
chopper
cam
tapes.
Q
Q
I
again
asked
for
help
explanation,
badge,
numbers
supervisor
and
was
ignored
mocked
and
told
to
quote
call
the
mayor
by
a
cop
in
riot
gear
pointing
a
weapon
at
me
fearing
they'd,
be
killed.
I
told
the
children
they
needed
to
get
out
from
under
the
tracks
with
so
few
adults,
no
press
hidden
from
view.
There
was
no
protection
from
this
army
of
maniacs.
Q
Q
In
my
41
years
I
have
never
seen
anything
so
disgusting
police
marched
on
a
peaceful
community
hid
themselves
under
train
tracks.
Assaulted
children
lied
about.
The
timeline
then
used
this
justification
to
terrorize
us.
We
west
philly
did
not
start
this,
and
our
children
certainly
are
not
to
blame.
Thank
you.
E
Ashley
ashley,
I'm
sorry
we're
having
a
little
bit
of
trouble
hearing
you
in
between
so
you're
coming
in
and
out.
So
if
there's
a
way
for
you
to
you
know,
I
don't
know
if
the
connection
is
off,
but
you're
cut
you're
coming
in
and
out
so
sometimes
we
can
hear
you
perfectly,
but
there
are
other
points
where
we
can't
hear
you
at
all.
I
E
P
G
Q
Q
Q
Q
I
peacefully
surrendered
to
the
officers
on
the
scene,
as
I
was
not
able-bodied
enough
to
escape
over
the
10-foot
fence.
I
then
had
my
belongings
unnecessarily
stripped
from
me
by
an
officer.
I
was
manhandled
and
bruised
and
I
got
stuck
on
a
crowded
bus
and
sent
to
jail
in
the
following
days.
I
heard
commissioner
outlaw
and
mayor
kenny
lie
about
the
nature
of
the
protest
and
what
caused
such
a
response
from
ppd.
Q
It
was
wildly
painful
watching
this
city
turn
its
back
on
all
of
us
who
wanted
to
peacefully
exercise
our
constitutional
rights
to
call
for
justice
in
a
clearly
broken
system.
The
trauma
of
this
event
continues
to
haunt
me
every
single
day.
It
took
me
weeks
to
be
able
to
drive
down
676
without
having
a
panic
attack,
despite
the
fact
that
my
grandfather
was
a
cop
for
30
years.
Q
Every
time
I
see
a
police
officer
now,
I
truly
and
rightfully
fear
for
my
life
that
day
strongly
reinforced
the
notion
that
the
police
force
as
it
is
now
is
not
here
to
protect
and
serve
the
people.
I
expected
so
much
more
from
the
city
that
I've
grown
to
love
deeply
over
the
past
five
years
as
a
resident.
Is
this
what
philadelphia
stands
for?
Do
we
handle
unrest
by
brutally
assaulting
and
repressing
dissenting
voices,
or
will
we
learn
that
this
is
only
creates
more
tension
and
division?
Q
Will
philadelphia
respond
swiftly
to
calls
for
justice
and
systematically
defunding
the
police,
or
will
we
continue
supporting
a
broken
policing
system
that
use
taxpayer
dollars
to
launch
a
militarized
attack
on
unarmed
civilians
who
were
calling
for
justice
for
black
lives?
I
strongly
urge
the
council
to
comprehensively
review
the
city's
response
to
the
unrest
during
this
time.
How
dare
we
call
ourselves
the
city
of
brotherly
love
when
we
reach
for
banned
weapons
of
war
to
suppress
peaceful
protests?
Q
E
E
F
Clear
yeah,
I
just
had
to
just
recognize
the
sacrifice
and
the
difficulty
in
telling
your
story
an
amount
of
trauma
that
was
experienced
on
both
nights,
and
I
just
wanted
to
let
you
guys
know
that
I
hear
you
and
it's
our
job
to
continue
to
work
through
this,
so
this
does
not
happen
again.
Thank
you.
C
C
I
want
to
thank
the
people
that
testified
today
in
both
instances,
and
particularly
the
folk
that
said
that
they
felt
inner
city
african-americans,
paying
that
they
acknowledged
that
they
could
have
rested
in
in
their
privilege,
but
chose
to
come
out
of
their
comfort
zone
and
join
people
on
52nd
street
to
bear
witness
and
to
be
supportive
of
black
lives
matter.
That's
is
that
is
as
important
as
some
of
the
abolitionist
abolitionists
were
during
the
fight
for
freedom
in
this
country.
C
We
can't
do
this
alone.
We
are
in
this
together
and
I
was
impressed
by
what
you
faced
your
courage.
I
I
was
impressed
by
the
fact
that
you
did
not
have
to
do
it.
Many
of
you
acknowledged
that
you
know
that
was
one
day
or
two
days
in
your
life
and
acknowledge
that
a
lot
of
those
kids
that
you
were
out
there
to
protect,
live
it
every
single
day
that
was
powerful
and
and
again.
C
C
C
Their
testimony
was
inspiring,
their
testimony
was
encouraging
and,
most
importantly,
it
was
empowering,
as
relates
to
the
issue
of
justice
and
equality,
not
only
for
just
african-americans
but
for
a
whole
and
our
whole
human
humanity.
And
so
I
thank
you
again.
Councilman
kim
I
thank
councilman
curtis
jones
for
spearheading
this
effort
and
and
hosting
the
hearing
and
look
forward
to
the
much
needed
work,
as
relates
to
the
issue
of
police
reform,
and
you
know
one
of
my
constituents
who
gave
a
very
passionate
testimony
talked
about.
C
It
would
be
great
if,
and
hopefully
our
commissioner,
her
team.
Our
mayor
are
taking
note
of
this
particular
hearing
because
they
need
to
hear
this.
You
know
at
the
end
of
the
day
I
mean
they're
supposed
to
be
professionals,
they're
the
individuals
who
are
out
and
about
on
the
street
doing
this
work
from
a
law
enforcement
standpoint,
the
american
individual
who's
leading
the
city.
C
She
really
really
needs
to
hear
from
the
individuals
who
were
severely
impacted
by
that
day,
and
I
also
heard
a
lot
about
around
the
issue
of
trauma
through
this
hearing
today.
A
lot
of
individuals
are
still
severely
impacted
and
hopefully,
we'll
figure
out
a
way
separate
from
the
reform
aspect.
But
how
do
we
address
this
from
a
level
of
healing
and
addressing
the
trauma
as
a
result
of
this
particular
issue
as
we
move
forward?
And
so
again
I
thank
you
in
any
way.
C
E
Thank
you
so
much
councilmember
johnson,
and
we
did
want
to
acknowledge
that
we
were
joined
tonight
by
commissioner
outlaw
and
members
of
her
team,
as
well
as
by
a
number
of
other
organizations
groups.
Representatives
of
the
city.
You
know
the
police,
advisory
commission
and
any
and
everybody
in
your.
E
C
Do
see
our
commissioner
who's
here
and
thank
you
for
acknowledging
that,
because,
if
you
had
not
acknowledged
that,
then
the
wider
public
who
were
who
changed
them
wouldn't
have
had
an
opportunity
to
know
that
she
is
here
at
least
listening
to
the
individuals
who
were
impacted
by
that
day.
So,
thank
you
very
much,
commissioner,
for
being
on
this
call.
D
D
It
provided
more
context
to
exactly
what
happened
from
their
own
perspectives
and
how
it
impacted
them
not
enough
only
in
a
physical
space,
but
also
an
emotional
space,
not
only
themselves
but
also
their
families
and
their
friends.
So
I
just
want
to
thank
all
of
the
people
that
came
to
testify
those
who
want
to
testify
just
by
voice
and
those
who
testified
by
video.
D
E
Thank
you
so
much
council
member.
I
also
just
wanted
to
acknowledge
that
councilman.
We
were
also
joined
tonight
by
a
number
of
other
council
members,
catherine
gilmore
richardson,
who
was
also
out
on
52nd
street,
the
night
of
may
31st
as
well,
along
with
many
others.
I
know
you
were
also
councilmember
jones,
and
so
you
know
we
want
to
thank
all
of
our
council
body
for
taking
this
with
the
kind
of
weight
that
we
initially
wanted
to
bring
to
it.
E
I
want
to
also
join
my
council
colleagues
and
thanking
all
the
testifiers,
as
well
as
everybody
who
tuned
in
from
different
parts
of
the
city
and
city
agencies.
These
testimonies
weighed
heavily
on
me
like
they
did
on
many
of
you.
I
take
them
to
heart.
The
words
hold
us
accountable
and
I
can't
escape.
You
know
the
words
of
mr
jaunty,
who
spoke
early
on
that
I
am
black
in
america
and
I
still
fear
for
my
children
they're
the
courageous
words
of
ordinary
philadelphians,
who
demanded
more
of
us.
E
I
want
to
acknowledge
that
retelling
and
living
these
stories
is
extremely
hard.
I
think
you
heard
it
in
the
pain
and
anger
that
many
of
our
residents
spoke.
Every
single
person
who
stepped
forward
today,
who
submitted
and
took
the
time
to
write
out
their
testimonies,
who
engaged
with
our
council
body
over
the
last
few
months,
has
done
the
city
and
their
communities
a
profound
public
service.
I
apologize
that
you
had
to
do
this
in
the
first
place.
E
E
E
In
first
amendment
situations,
we
will
be
continuing
this
hearing
as
well
in
a
few
weeks
time
to
hear
from
some
of
the
entities
that
are
doing
the
investigations
to
invite
them
to
give
us
an
update.
We
will
be
hearing
from
national
leaders
in
the
policing
reform
work
and
we
will
also
hear
from
members
of
the
administration.
E
I
hope
that
tonight
and
the
last
several
hours
was
a
reminder
of
why
this
work
is
so
important.
Why
we
listen
why
we
believe
that
words
matter
why
we
believe
that
it
starts
with
our
stories.
If
we're
going
to
see
change
and
accountability,
and
to
close,
I
will
sit
here
and
affirm
that
black
lives
matter
if
there
are
no
other
testimony.