Source: NurPhoto / Getty
A group of protesters sued the city of Philadelphia over the 2020 racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd. During the protest police used rubber bullets and teargas in order to contain protesters. Sources say, a settlement of $9 million dollars between protesters, residents, and the city.
“The pain and trauma caused by a legacy of systemic racism and police brutality against Black and Brown Philadelphians is immeasurable,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement Monday. “While this is just one step in the direction toward reconciliation, we hope this settlement will provide some healing from the harm experienced by people in their neighborhoods in West Philadelphia and during demonstrations on I-676 in 2020.”
Source: NurPhoto / Getty
On 52nd and Market street, hundreds of people gathered in support of social justice. This gesture was responded by police, again, with excessive force. Peaceful protesters were left scrambling for safety from teargas and rubber bullets after police anticipated the previous days behavior.
Source: NurPhoto / Getty
Local residents who weren’t apart of the protest suffered from the assault. Shahidah Mubarak-Hadi, a resident whose house was in proximity of the polices assault, explained the traumatic event and the effect its had on her family.
“Police fired tear gas at our family’s home, leaving my 3-year-old son crying and my 6-year-old son completely terrified.” said Mubarak-Hadi. “The house was enclosed in gas, and we were trapped inside with nowhere to go,” .
Mubarak-Hadi, who hid in the bathroom from the tear gas, later moved out of the area. Shahidah Mubarak-Hadi says that the settlement is an “important step, but it does not represent full accountability for the harm that occurred.”
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