UPDATE (6/6/2020): Aldi supermarket at 46th and Market Streets has reopened to shoppers. The store was broken into and looted on Sunday night, according to staff.
UPDATE (6/5/2020): The ShopRite located at ParkWest Town Center (52nd and Jefferson), which was ransacked by looters on Sunday, will reopen this coming Sunday (June 7) at 7 a.m. Read more here. There will also be a free produce giveaway at 52nd and Parkside this Sunday, June 7, beginning at 9 a.m. Please bring your own bag!
The citywide curfew will resume at 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 4.
UPDATE (6/3/2020): Neighbors are reporting that Rite Aid and Walgreens on the 300 and 100 block of North 63rd Street were looted and Rite Aid was set on fire Sunday night. Many people, especially senior citizens, are now unable to get their medication.
UPDATE (6/2/2020): The citywide curfew will begin at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, to let residents vote in the primary election.
Here’s also an update on some local businesses, grocery/pharmacy stores:
Aldi at 46th and Market is boarded up and closed. Update (Wednesday, June 3): The store is closed until further notice. It will reopen when it’s safe for everyone, according to their customer service representative.
Rite Aid at 46th and Chestnut is also closed. The Sunoco gas station at 46th and Chestnut is also closed but the one on 46th and Walnut is open.
Sunoco at 46th and Chestnut:
If you would like to help the businesses on 52nd Street that were affected by the events on Sunday, please donate to the Enterprise Center’s campaign here. Here’s a message posted on their website:
“The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation is deeply saddened by what has happened on 52nd Street and in other neighborhoods around the city. We understand the frustration regarding police brutality and the death of George Floyd, and we stand with those fighting inequality. We also believe in the power of community to rebuild in difficult times. We have experienced an outpouring of support from our community: volunteerism, supplies, and donations, and we are grateful to everyone who has supported us thus far.”
UPDATE (6/1/2020): The citywide curfew will resume at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 1 and will continue until 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
More areas in West Philly were hit on Sunday and well into Sunday night by the civil unrest and looting, including Baltimore Avenue between 51st and 45th, Park West Town Center (52nd and Jefferson), 60th and Market, 40th and Lancaster, City Line Avenue, and more. Here are some images from 52nd and Jefferson:
Destruction here at Park West Town Center at 52nd and Jefferson in West Philly. A @WellsFargo was vandalized and ATMs were broken into. @PhillyMayor, @Darrell_Clarke and other @PHLCouncil members will tour this area this morning. pic.twitter.com/IwqK8hz6t9
— Mike D’Onofrio (@MikeDonofrio_) June 1, 2020
On Baltimore Avenue, there were reports of vandalism or looting at the following businesses: Fine Wine and Good Spirits store (49th and Baltimore), Sunray Drugs (50th and Baltimore), Davis Pharmacy (46th and Baltimore), Milk & Honey Market (45th and Baltimore).
Here’s a photo of Milk and Honey Market this morning:
Multiple fires were reported in West Philly on Sunday. Check out this map:
May 31 daily totals: 652 EMS incidents, 223 fire incidents, 24 working fires (below). #PFDstrongtogether pic.twitter.com/xXX3Synhbg
— Philadelphia Fire (@PhillyFireDept) June 1, 2020
Volunteers have gathered around various West Philly neighborhoods on Monday morning to help clean up:
It was an uplifting experience participate in the 52nd Street #bringabroomPHL cleanup this morning. Hundreds came to help. Thank you @PhilaTEC @CouncilmemberJG . The Kensington cleanup has been postponed to a later date. pic.twitter.com/sudrwtITY1
— Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (@bcgp) June 1, 2020
(Sunday, May 31, 2020): Protests and unrest started near 52nd and Market around 3 p.m. on Sunday. There is a large police presence in the area. A curfew has been announced for Philadelphia, beginning at 6 p.m. All businesses were asked to close before 4 p.m.
SEPTA has suspended all buses, trolleys, the Market-Frankford Line and the Broad Street Line until further notice beginning at 6 p.m..
All SEPTA bus routes, trolleys, the Market-Frankford, Broad Street, Norristown High Speed Lines and Regional Rail Lines are suspended at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 31 until 6 a.m. on Monday, June 1 due to civil unrest and vandalism.
— SEPTA (@SEPTA) May 31, 2020
Some businesses have been broken into, including McDonalds on 52nd and Chestnut:
In west philly where a McDonalds has been vandalized, fire is burning and nearby folks are looting. Police are here- just watching and waiting. @KYWNewsradio #riots #GeorgeFloyd #phillyriots pic.twitter.com/EYbhwiIUhq
— Cherri Gregg (@cherrigregg) May 31, 2020
Another protest was happening at 51st and Market:
Some chanting broke out in west #philly bear 51st and Market. Large @PhillyPolice presence – curfew is at 6. Officers are ready. Residents are asking why here. More on @KYWNewsradio #GeorgeFloydProtests #day2 #riots pic.twitter.com/4D4dCqpqsT
— Cherri Gregg (@cherrigregg) May 31, 2020
More updates:
Looks like CBS3 is now live in helicopter in West Philly. https://t.co/4zDUVUy3kt
— West Philly Local (@WestPhillyLocal) May 31, 2020
PROTEST UPDATE: Violence and looting erupted in West Philadelphia Sunday afternoon as police used teargas to try and disperse an angry crowd @alecia__reid reportshttps://t.co/76ed2UfboC
— CBS Philly (@CBSPhilly) May 31, 2020
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) has issued a statement on Sunday’s protests/unrest on 52nd Street:
I witnessed the unrest on 52nd Street firsthand this afternoon, and it was a terrifying ordeal. We cannot allow this to continue. https://t.co/xPrnynzoYC
— Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (@CouncilmemberJG) May 31, 2020
Some neighbors offered their help to protesters:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3v9dsjEPG/
Looks like The Enterprise Center is putting together a clean-up along 52nd Street tomorrow a.m. We’ll keep you posted. From their Facebook page: pic.twitter.com/boppCBR0Ao
— West Philly Local (@WestPhillyLocal) June 1, 2020
June 1st, 2020 at 9:16 am
Tragic hijacking of legitimate protest by opportunistic low-life thugs and early Christmas shoppers. We are called to understand their anger. That we are trying to do. We don’t understand the mindset of people who destroy their own community and those who blame the police for invading the neighborhood and inciting people to riot. I often walked down 52nd St. and saw glimmers of hope. Now there are embers of despair.
June 1st, 2020 at 10:43 am
Violence is as american as apple pie. It is not “good” or “bad”, per se. Destruction of property is not equivalent to destruction of human life. Theft from major corporations is not the same as theft from ordinary people. If we want Peace, let’s work for Justice…
June 1st, 2020 at 12:12 pm
@ A.D. Your moral relativism and equivocating is pathetic but unsurprising. You and your thinking are part of the problem, at the root of division and disease in our society. Your warped ideology cannot lead to justice. It’s easy to say when it’s not your property, property owners on 52nd St. lose their livelihood, an impoverished neighborhood suffers. Why should you care? It’s not bad for them? How ignorant can one be?
June 1st, 2020 at 1:37 pm
Comments being censored again.
June 1st, 2020 at 1:44 pm
And again. Pathetic.
June 1st, 2020 at 1:54 pm
It is pure racism for white kids to incite violence in the Black community then leave the neighborhood to deal with the aftermath. Need I say more?
June 1st, 2020 at 2:22 pm
I wonder if George did a survey of who was involved? Was he out there collecting data and is it reliable?
June 1st, 2020 at 3:48 pm
Why would I have been there? I don’t go places where I’m not welcome and have no business. Listen to WURD radio if you want to see how the Black community feels about these faux “revolutionaries.”
June 1st, 2020 at 4:56 pm
Well, one reason to be there is to protest police violence against the black community and the fact that the perpetrators are never held accountable. As far as I can tell, there were people of all races involved but perhaps WURD knows something that I don’t.
June 1st, 2020 at 7:28 pm
The window of Clarkville on Baltimore at 43rd was broken as well.
June 1st, 2020 at 8:58 pm
Meanwhile, our friends and neighbors are being arrested downtown and will be tomorrow and the day after and the day after. .
June 2nd, 2020 at 12:16 pm
ATMs in Philly blown up with explosives all night, over 35 according to Police. Some along Walnut St and 40s. Some inside shops and gas stations. One guy died trying to blow up an ATM. This is nuts. Civil unrest going beyond a protest now.
June 2nd, 2020 at 12:23 pm
In cities throughout the United States this weekend, we witnessed a terrifying spectacle: a brutal police riot, waged with frightening savagery, against average citizens whose unforgivable crime was daring to criticize police violence.
Read: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/06/george-floyd-protests-police-brutality
June 2nd, 2020 at 2:16 pm
Funny, comments still not going through…
June 2nd, 2020 at 2:18 pm
Does anyone else have this problem?
June 2nd, 2020 at 2:21 pm
Perhaps AD is on the WPL staff?
June 2nd, 2020 at 2:56 pm
“I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters,” the president declared as law enforcement officers fired tear gas and deployed flash bangs into a crowd outside the White House.
Read more: https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/06/02/tear-gas-threats-for-protesters-before-trump-visits-church/
June 2nd, 2020 at 3:07 pm
Apparently AD has no problem getting his comments posted.
June 2nd, 2020 at 3:12 pm
Finally.
Those with a genuine interest in fighting racism in Philly will note AD’s continuing refusal to voice support for Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has been jailed since 1981 as a result of police violence. It is hypocritical as hell to profess support for Floyd while throwing Mumia under the bus.
Meanwhile Black residents of the communities targeted by white “protesters” are left to deal with the aftermath, and salvaging their lives and businesses. I’m sure Black Lives Matter is outraged at their name being appropriated and exploited.
June 2nd, 2020 at 3:35 pm
“War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength”
-George Orwell
June 2nd, 2020 at 3:44 pm
And dissing Mumia is racism.
June 3rd, 2020 at 9:40 am
Defund them:
https://dsaorganizer.org/2020/05/31/socialists-must-fight-to-defund-the-police/
June 3rd, 2020 at 11:04 am
Can anyone put me in contact with a local Westside small business owner who’s business was damaged or destroy? I want to put a team together to help them.
June 4th, 2020 at 8:54 am
Right wing fanatics are a significant problem,they clearly seek to stoke fear in furtherance of their divide and conquer strategy. Many of them would welcome civil war in furtherance of authoritarian rule by Trump. Racism is the wedge they use with which they seek to manipulate us.
June 4th, 2020 at 7:24 pm
It’s bobabooey all over again
June 5th, 2020 at 7:34 am
Taxes are often resented.
Labeling some taxes as ‘school tax’ allows resentment to be directed at children.
What percent of city taxes are used to pay for police misconduct?
I think it would be fair to label this expense a ‘police misconduct tax’.
I am interested to know how School Tax and Police Misconduct Tax compare as a percentage of city budget.
June 5th, 2020 at 9:13 am
Yes, defunding police definitely should be on the table now:
https://newpol.org/we-dont-need-cops-to-take-a-knee-we-need-them-to-take-off-their-badges-for-good/
June 5th, 2020 at 4:59 pm
@ A.D If the police are defunded good luck defending yourself against the hoodlums. Your utopian dream world will be a nightmare.
June 5th, 2020 at 5:18 pm
We will have to change a lot of things, for sure. Housing, food and medicine should be considered a human right. We need to end the War on Drugs.
And that’s only the beginning. This is where defeating Trump and opposing White Supremacy and State Violence come in.
June 6th, 2020 at 3:02 pm
@West Philly — I believe AD is likely a young teenager (nothing wrong with that) with no real connection to the local movement. More of a budding “Facebook Democrat” than a revolutionary. He speaks in familiar generalities, posts lots of links (since he can’t articulate his own ideas very well) and seems to mainly be arguing with stereotypes in his head. Take him with a grain of salt.
While we obviously would have our own disagreements about numerous things, I think we would probably concur that it’s too bad there isn’t a higher level of dialogue going on here. A number of people have told me that their posts often don’t go through when they rebut the “usual suspects” (something that has happened to me as well). So it’s a matter of how much time people have to play games.
June 6th, 2020 at 3:10 pm
The march for black lives is huge! Come join us by the Art Museum, now!
June 6th, 2020 at 9:41 pm
@ A.D. come to think of it. Let’s not defund the police. Let’s give people the opportunity to opt out of their services, even give them a tax break. Whatever one thinks of Trump, the alternatives are more frightening. Along with people coming out to exercise their constitutional right to protest we find anarchists, criminal elements, opportunists, etc. You see there is no center, no foundation. Some want to change society, some want to rob the weak, some want to overthrow government. The protests will burn themselves out. Kids will go back to work or back to their parents’ couch.
June 6th, 2020 at 10:01 pm
You pose a false dichotomy. Let’s start transitioning out of the police control model by slowly but surely defunding them. Mental health and social workers would be more helpful for people experiencing personal or family crisis. Let’s end the War on Drugs. Let’s build community power and community solutions.
That way we can move steadily away from the murderous, corrupt, abusive thuggery that hides behind a badge. Step by step, we can build a better world.
June 7th, 2020 at 2:35 pm
@ A.D. Your rhetoric has no basis in reality. You have swallowed the leftist narrative. There are brutal cops who should be removed. There are unarmed black men killed by police (although far more white men). But there is no evidence of systematic, widescale targeting of black men. But I learned long ago many people don’t care about facts that interfere with their agenda.
June 7th, 2020 at 3:11 pm
Wow, you really demolished your straw man.
June 18th, 2020 at 10:33 am
Democrat controlled cities, Mayor picks commission and police chief !
Now nepotism at it worst!
Who sets the standard for police training and requirements ?
Ask the Mayor why his or hand picked people are incompetent?
Are the police unions also mostly Democratic supporters !??
Systematic stupidity to me !
Easton PA officer killed in Police station because officers didn’t know how to properly handle loaded guns!
They brought in outside help to train the officers after reviewing the flawed system !
Independent not a Democrat or Republican !
June 19th, 2020 at 12:19 pm
“Independent” means very little…
June 19th, 2020 at 1:22 pm
The Devil is in the details…
June 23rd, 2020 at 1:52 pm
FWIW “mental health” workers — especially psychiatrists — ARE cops. The only difference is that “real” cops carry guns, shrinks carry syringes full of neurotoxins.
Looks like Big Pharma made out well with coronoavirus — “antidepressant” sales have risen by 26% since the lockdown. And they’re running out of Zoloft — horrors!
June 23rd, 2020 at 3:13 pm
Okay, so nuance is not george’s strong point, but we already knew that…
June 24th, 2020 at 2:07 pm
Mark Twain said the only people who should refer to themselves as “we” are royalty and people with tapeworms. Which category are you in AD?
June 24th, 2020 at 2:25 pm
Completely avoiding the point- it’s probably intentional but with “george” you never know…
June 24th, 2020 at 8:07 pm
Yes, because avoidance is your specialty AD, right? Like you avoid expressing any support whatever for Mumia while pontificating about Black lives “mattering”? Only in the abstract I guess.
Have you ever heard of white liberals described as perpetually having their fingers in the wind before taking a stand on anything?
June 25th, 2020 at 6:15 am
“War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.”
June 25th, 2020 at 3:30 pm
Obviously you find Orwell fascinating AD. Maybe you should read 1984 again if you haven’t done so since high school, it might take on a few new meanings for you.
Meanwhile I see you are continuing your blatantly racist refusal to take a stand on Mumia, since real lives apparently don’t matter to you as much as slogans, or as much as your insecure white male ego.
June 25th, 2020 at 3:55 pm
Is he a revolutionary socialist, or a Trump troll?
Inquiring minds want to know…
June 25th, 2020 at 10:02 pm
Is AD an anti-racist or a Democrat?
June 25th, 2020 at 10:53 pm
Btw although my comments about Mumia are largely directed towards AD, other white “progressives” and “radicals” who ignore Mumia are equally complicit, and the lack of a unified and unwavering demand to FREE MUMIA has long tainted this so-called “movement” in Philadelphia. Everyone knows how to say George Floyd’s and Brianna Taylor’s names; how about your native son Mumia, who is a hero throughout the world and has been in the crosshairs of the system and the PPD since age 16? Shame on all y’all.
June 26th, 2020 at 6:45 am
I do think he’s an absurd parody of a leftist, as formulated by a somewhat addled believer in the Trump Cause. Losing is real hard I know, and the Baltimore Avenue Corridor definitely does put MAGA types in the extreme minority. Gotta accept the way things are though, and move on…
June 26th, 2020 at 11:22 pm
You’re an uneducated fool AD, as well as a racist liberal. Everyone can see this except you or else they’d come to your defense. (I’ll have to show some of your comments to MOVE, they’ll get a kick out of them.)
Meanwhile Mumia sits in prison, as Democrats and faux “leftists” such as Amerikan Dream spew their privileged white egotistical ignorance. Unconscionable.
Anyway, hoping to see the less hypocritical among us at Malcolm X Park Sunday in support of freeing political prisoners. Ciao.
[Btw does this site have moderators to weed out ad hominems? It might help raise the level of discourse and attract more intelligent comments.]
June 27th, 2020 at 3:30 am
Not even the people who are most involved in the Mumia campaign talk like george. With “friends” like these who needs enemies, indeed. Meanwhile, whether or not MAGA dudes want to talk about it or not, their dangerous and senseless tendencies are only heightening the internal contradictions which they ignore.
June 28th, 2020 at 7:48 pm
Obviously you know NO ONE actually involved in the campaign to free Mumia AD.
Not that I’m normally the betting sort but how much will you donate to the cause if I prove you wrong? Bidding starts at $500.
June 28th, 2020 at 8:20 pm
Trump trolls follow the example of their pathetic leader. When confronted on their nonsense, they merely double down on their lies. They are not capable of anything more and neither do they have the courage to be honest about what is actually going on. Ultimately, they’ve got nothing more to offer.
June 28th, 2020 at 9:14 pm
Put up or shut up AD. The offer stands.
June 28th, 2020 at 10:05 pm
These are not the sharpest knives in the drawer but at least they found something to believe in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaFSH0K4BdQ
June 29th, 2020 at 12:17 am
Desperate to change the subject? Laughing at you AD. 🙂
June 29th, 2020 at 12:36 am
Censorship check…
June 29th, 2020 at 12:40 am
One more try: http://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-culture-of-the-smug-w_b_11537306
June 29th, 2020 at 10:34 am
I’ve reached the end of the line for this. We are in a time of deep crisis. The disease is rising fast and our Economy is profoundly damaged. The future is uncertain.
“America”, built on Empire, Settler Colonialism and Racial Capitalism has nurtured the fascist tendencies within. These will be times that challenge us to the very core but also offer opportunities for deep change. I wish healing to all- including food, shelter, medicine, and transformation.