The Briefing Room
State Chapters => State Politics/Government => Topic started by: mystery-ak on July 09, 2020, 02:23:16 pm
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Philly has waived all citations against protesters after they said arrests violated their rights
by Samantha Melamed, Posted: July 8, 2020- 3:26 PM
During the month of protests against police brutality in Philadelphia, more than 750 people were arrested for curfew violations, failure to disperse, and disorderly conduct. Many were handcuffed, taken to remote police districts, and kept in hot cars or buses for hours — some so long they urinated on themselves or began pleading for water. Then, they were released not with criminal charges but civil citations, the type of ticket given for high weeds or litter.
Less than a week after an Inquirer report on allegations the practice was a violation of free speech, Mayor Jim Kenney on Wednesday announced that all of the code-violation notices issued to protesters from May 30 to June 30 would be waived. (The decision has no bearing on cases involving criminal charges.)
“My decision to waive these violations is not a statement on the validity of the individual citations,†Kenney said in a statement. “Rather, it is a recognition of the core concerns that caused thousands to demonstrate on the streets of Philadelphia. In waiving these notices, I recognize that those issues are vitally important, that the pain of those marching is very real, and that their message — Black lives matter — needs to be heard every day until systemic racism is fully eradicated from this city and nation.â€
more
https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-protest-civil-rights-code-violations-arrests-mayor-jim-kenney-police-20200708.html (https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-protest-civil-rights-code-violations-arrests-mayor-jim-kenney-police-20200708.html)
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So, will the riots resume this weekend or next?