The massive Philly car meetup was dubbed ‘Project X’ online. One driver described the mayhem of the night.

  • September 24, 2024 1:15 am

from Mainstream Media

“As soon as they said City Hall, I knew all hell was going to break loose,” said a 19-year-old who “slides” in a black Camaro.

Just after midnight, Philadelphia police investigate the scene of a one-car crash at the intersection of Pattison Avenue and South Third Street.

Just after midnight, Philadelphia police investigate the scene of a one-car crash at the intersection of Pattison Avenue and South Third Street.

Dressed in banana suits, Donald Trump masks, and green alien costumes, hundreds of people descended on Philadelphia during the weekend for a series of car meetups — a night of mayhem participants have dubbed “Project X” online and that resulted in police officers being surrounded and, in some cases, attacked in their cars.

Law enforcement said the meetups, which included people drag racing, doing doughnuts, and exploding fireworks, spanned the city, with at least 11 events from the Northeast to Southwest to right outside City Hall. Across more than seven hours Saturday night and into Sunday morning, police trailed the groups in what they described as a game of “whack-a-mole,” arriving just in time for the crowds to rapidly disperse, then move to a new location.

In multiple instances, including around 4:30 a.m. in front of City Hall, responding police were greatly outnumbered by the crowds that in some places lit fires in the streets. Videos shared on Instagram showed dozens of people surrounding one officer’s car, jumping onto the hood and hanging off the back while filming themselves. People threw traffic cones into the officer’s windshield and at one point, opened the cruiser’s back door. Another video showed a small number of baton-wielding officers running through smoke-filled streets as people fled in all directions. Most appeared to have escaped.

Obtained by The Inquirer

The scenes quickly went viral online and became talking points for Republicans. The GOP-controlled House Judiciary Committee posted on X that “you’re not safe in Democrat-run Philadelphia,” and Elon Musk shared the video, saying it resembled a scene from The Joker.

In total, five police cars were damaged through the night, police said, and one 39th District officer suffered minor injuries after his vehicle was struck by another car, which then fled the scene.

Deputy Police Commissioner of Patrol Mike Cram (left) and Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Healy discuss illegal car meetups on Sunday.
Deputy Police Commissioner of Patrol Mike Cram (left) and Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Healy discuss illegal car meetups on Sunday.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

Car meetups, also known as “takeovers” or “slide shows,” aren’t new or unique to Philly and they’ve been going on for years. But police said the events this past weekend went beyond what they typically encounter in size, scope, and aggression and that they believe it was in retaliation for the department’s heightened efforts in recent months to arrest and fine those who participate.

Police said they arrested only three people across Saturday night and Sunday morning. Jhonny Martinez, a 19-year-old from Upper Darby, was charged with recklessly endangering another person after police said he crashed into a pole at Third Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia while fleeing officers. He has been released from custody on his own recognizance, according to court records.

Two teens were also arrested and issued code violation notices, police said. Officials declined to name them because they are juveniles.

Police said 15 spectators were cited and nine were fined under the city’s nuisance car ordinance — which carries a $2,500 penalty — in Southwest Philadelphia.

How the meetups work

The meetup was organized with drivers, or “sliders,” from across the region, from New York to North Carolina and Virginia, as a final ode to summer, said a 19-year-old from Long Island who drives a black Camaro. He asked not to be identified so he could speak openly about the illegal racing scene, which he has participated in for about five years.

The event, like most meets, was organized through Instagram stories, he said, and was called “Project X,” a nod to the 2012 film about high schoolers who host an unruly party.

“That was probably one of the biggest meets we’ve had on the East Coast in like two years,” he said of the turnout.

It was Philly’s spectators who sowed chaos, he said, adding that he and other drivers have tried to discourage people from lighting fires and fireworks. It gives the thrill-seeking hobby a bad rap, he said.

“We don’t like that, we yell at people. There’s been fights multiple times because of it,” he said of the spectators’ behavior. “In every other state, we do the same [stuff]. But these guys in Philly … we call them crash outs.”

He said that they moved to multiple locations through the night in their cars, and that he was surprised by the limited police response at each location.

“As soon as they said City Hall, I knew all hell was going to break loose,” he said.

Another man, who described himself as an independent journalist who films the meetups, said drivers “want somewhere to do this legally with no repercussions.” The man, who asked not to be identified to discuss events that are illegal, said many racing tracks have restrictions or are shutting down, making it “hard to find a place to keep this off the streets.”

Law enforcement wasn’t sympathetic, and said they were reviewing camera footage and social media posts to identify the people involved.

“This is not a victimless crime,” said Adam Geer, Philadelphia’s director of public safety. “They’re putting people’s lives in danger.”

Officers were attacked and their cars damaged trying to disperse chaotic, illegal car meetups, Philly police said

  • September 24, 2024 1:07 am

from Mainstream Media

Investigators say the illegal gatherings were reported over a span of seven hours late Saturday into early Sunday, and featured hundreds of cars drag racing and drifting, and several trash fires.

Philadelphia police investigate the scene of a one-car crash at the intersection of Pattison Avenue and Third Street in South Philadelphia early Sunday morning. This car was involved in a large meetup, and fled the scene as officers arrived to break up the illegal event.
Philadelphia police investigate the scene of a one-car crash at the intersection of Pattison Avenue and Third Street in South Philadelphia early Sunday morning. This car was involved in a large meetup, and fled the scene as officers arrived to break up the illegal event.

Multiple Philadelphia police officers were attacked and their vehicles damaged while trying to break up nearly a dozen illegal car meetups throughout the city late Saturday into Sunday morning, police said, causing mayhem and rattling the nerves of residents in nearby neighborhoods.

Investigators said there were 11 large meetups, some of which drew more than 200 cars, as well as a series of other smaller gatherings, scattered throughout nearly every corner of the city, from Northeast to Southwest.

The wild scenes unfolded over the course of seven hours, with the first reported to police at 9:30 p.m. on Bustleton Avenue near Bleigh Avenue in Rhawnhurst. During that incident, 50 cars gathered at the scene, which drew multiple spectators. An arrest warrant was issued for one of the drivers, whom police did not identify, after they hit an uninvolved car while attempting to flee. Officers issued nuisance citations to nine other drivers and 15 spectators.

Just after midnight on Sept. 22, Philadelphia police race east on Pattison Avenue in their response to multiple car meet-ups throughout the city.
Just after midnight on Sept. 22, Philadelphia police race east on Pattison Avenue in their response to multiple car meet-ups throughout the city. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

An officer responding to an assist call nearby was hurt after his vehicle was struck by a car fleeing that meetup, police said.

Other meetups saw attendees building bonfires, setting off fire crackers, and in one instance shooting a flamethrower as drivers revved and screeched through the streets, doing doughnuts, hanging out of their cars, and leaving massive scenes of smoke in their wake, according to investigators.

Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Healy said at a news conference Sunday that officials believe the aggressive behavior was in retaliation to the department’s increased enforcement against the meetups in recent months.

Investigators were poring over video and evidence, working to identify people involved, he said.

”We have your picture. We’re coming for you. If you think you got away last night, you didn’t,” Healy said of the drivers. “We’re coming with search warrants, and we’re coming with arrest warrants, so don’t think we’re going to lay down and allow this to happen in our city.”

Deputy Police Commissioner Michael Cram said Sunday that fireworks and fires have become a standard part of the gatherings, with drivers circling around the flames to hype up the crowd. The groups often even have camera crews with them, he said, and frequently make videos for their social media profiles.

Cram said that a team of officers is deployed each weekend to respond to and try to prevent the meetups from forming, but they’re difficult to police. As quickly as they form, he said, the groups disperse. Officers cannot chase after the cars for safety reasons, and when an officer is surrounded, their car sometimes being attacked, it’s not safe for them to even get out of their vehicle, Healy said.

”It’s like a game of whack-a-mole,” said Cram.

Philadelphia Police responded to a series of car meet-ups Saturday night into Sunday morning, including this one on 23rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Other meetups were reported in South Philadelphia, Southwest Philadelphia, and Center City, according to police. At a 4 a.m. meetup at Island and Bartram Avenues, more than 200 cars were drifting — speeding and whipping the tail end of the vehicle around — and drag racing. Officers who responded were attacked and a vehicle was damaged, police said.

Additional officers were attacked just after 4:30 a.m. at 15th and Market Streets, where more than 100 cars were reportedly drifting, and spectators were setting trash fires, police said. Five police vehicles were damaged, their windshields broken and tires flattened by spectators.

Police made two arrests at 20th Street and Pattison Avenue after a car fleeing an 11:47 p.m. meetup there crashed into a pole. Investigators did not identify the driver or the passenger, a juvenile, but said they lived nearby.

City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, in whose district that meetup was held, said Sunday that events like it are a “matter of public safety that can have deadly consequences for unsuspecting drivers, pedestrians and neighborhood residents.”

“Philadelphia City Council members will continue to work with the Police Department and Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration on solutions to this issue citywide,” Johnson said. “I also urge the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to prosecute anyone arrested in connection with this weekend’s illegal car meetups, including the injuring of police officers, to the fullest extent of the law.”

Deputy Police Commissioner of Patrol Mike Cram (left) and Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Healy address illegal car meet-ups that took place over the weekend, on Sept. 22.
Deputy Police Commissioner of Patrol Mike Cram (left) and Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Healy address illegal car meet-ups that took place over the weekend, on Sept. 22. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

Car meetup culture has become a fixture of the city in the last few years, organized and advertised over social media. The unsanctioned, illegal gatherings block intersections and close streets, and have led to violence.

In June 2023, 18-year-old Anthony Allegrini Jr. of Glen Mills was killed by Pennsylvania State Police troopers after he struck two troopers with his Audi S4 while trying to flee a car meetup that shut down I-95 near Penn’s Landing. Two other assaults during that meetup were captured by bystander video.

Later that year, on Oct. 1, Cody Heron, 27, brandished a gun and headbutted Nikki Bullock near Philadelphia City Hall as she was delivering for Uber Eats with her children in the car. Heron pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault and one count of possession of an instrument of a crime.

He was sentenced to one to four years in state prison and five years’ probation. Prosecutors have said Heron, of Frankford, was part of an ATV and motorcycle meetup that illegally drove through Center City.

People who live near the site of some of this weekend’s car meetups say they are frustrated over inaction by the city. The city’s Nuisance Car Ordinance, which carries a hefty $2,500 fine, has been an effective tool for the last month, according to police officials.

But some residents, including Drew Murray, say the city needs to find a permanent solution to the issue.

Murray, vice president of Logan Square Neighborhood Association, said Sunday that he expects to field multiple phone calls this week from frustrated neighbors after a meetup was held this weekend at 23rd and Spring Garden Streets, one of many in recent months.

”It’s clearly becoming an issue,” Murray said. ”It’s extremely dangerous for people in the community. It’s a quality-of-living issue.”

Murray, who ran as a Republican for City Council last year, says he plans on bringing his neighbors’ concerns to their local police district.

”Police don’t want to make a situation even more dangerous by chasing these cars or doing something that could put other pedestrians and other people in danger,” he said. “But we will absolutely be in contact with the district and work with them to hopefully see what we can do going forward to prevent this.

Free Stuff? IN OUR PUBLIC PARK?? More Radical Than You’d Think…

  • May 25, 2024 1:23 am

Submission

Early morning yesterday, a small group of intersectional anarchists repurposed surplus materials from the now-defunct university encampment. Set up in the park was smooth and several tents were pitched to establish a presence. As an autonomous action, all of the gear onsite was explictly available for anyone who would care to put them to use. Talking with street-based neighbors it was quick to come to consensus that people wanted to share food, water, cigarettes, commiserate, and rise above the horrors of living under settler-colonialism.

As the sunrise welcomed in the day, more neighbors would greet each other and invite one another to share, some would leave and come back with coffee, bring chairs, and supply coolers with the trust that these items would help sustain an accessible communtiy hub in the park. The banners spoke for themselves: Land Back, Free Palestine, Free the Congo, Resistance is Justified. Signage addressed the elephant in the room while folks on the ground could speak/act freely and not be caught up in chanting or marshaling to cultivate a protest environment, which allowed for community engagement to take center stage.

This proved most interesting when one neighbor passing by pointed out a banner and stated “I’m not down with that”, then was promptly welcomed to engage conflictually. One anarchist invited him over for coffee and a smoke, and It wasn’t long before it became apparent this person wasn’t critiquing the international support, but rather the “trending-political-issue” phenomena that this country subjects its people to every election cycle. He spoke to the horrors – the devastation of the meadows, the chronic displacement in Kensington, and murdered children here in so-called Philadelphia.

The solidarity lines between the overt genocide abroad and the covert genocide at home became clearer amongst the group. With gratitude and a better understanding of each other, the passer-by left to a different section of the park and the autonomous zone carried on with distributing free goods. When anarchists were inevitably confronted by a pig who drove onto the lawn, this same conflictual neighbor came back to this intersectional group to stand against the intimidation and together, as a community, they turned the pig away. By engaging with each other through conflicts, we are ALL empowered and live WE KEEP US SAFE in real time.

In the afternoon, more people would come and go, some anonymously and others more plainly to be recognized by longtime neighbors & loved ones. Building familiarity proved valuable in practicing trust, with housed neighbors eager to know what resources were needed, offering use of their bathrooms to ANYONE who needed relief, and many were quick to make note of hostile zionists in the neighborhood known to harass.

The make-up of the pop-up distro in the park would change depending on who was able to stick around. Some folks more used to hierarchal organization found it difficult to self-start tasks or ask for direction from people they considered unaffiliated, whereas more horizontal-based practitioners would collaborate on supply runs and sign making, all while outreach with neighbors continued through lunchtime.

Houseless folks who wanted them got tents, hungry people got food, and even some student encampment folks found it reinvigorating to be in an occupation-style protest that materially benefited the community it was taking place in.

By the early evening, the cops escalated as the park’s belligerently gentrified beer garden installation began to open – a blight in the neighborhood that has been spoken on as a true disruption each season it has been erected. The juxtaposition of an autonomous and free exchange of resources next to a gated off colonizer project was noted as a bitter irony amongst the group throughout the night.

No laws were broken by this impromptu, picnic-style meet up apart from a technical park code violation that forbids the use of tents without a permit, which is to be handled by the department of parks and rec and NOT the PPD. Folks participating in the distro stayed together while friendly faces filmed the police from other sections of the park. A park ranger with several dozen pigs as enforcers confront folks willing to talk to them about the scene, and after back and forth dispute tents were deconstructed so that the resource exchange could continue without escalating interference from the state.

People continued coming and going, some held it down all day while others came in waves & shifts. Folks on the ground discussed how warped AmeriKKKa’s priorities are when nearly a trillion dollars (yes actually) are funneled towards proxy wars and people are literally in the park sharing what they could to sustain one another. Using each other’s experiences with oppression to identify their chains, this intersectional group of neighbors asked themselves what could be achieved in the park with the supplies and knowledge available to them.

An older neighbor and communist remarked that the people in the neighborhood are sick and tired, some nearly so much they can’t fight like they used to, some too scared to talk to their neighbors because fascism looms heavy. Another person noted how that feeling is what keeps them curious, reminds them to be sensitive whenever possible, and that we’re kept humble in our efforts by reminding each other of the stakes.

But that night in the park, those gathered spoke to a future where a person could feel empowered by the presence of another, where one could feel safe to walk home alone at night, and when one person is threatened for sleeping outside ALL their neighbors can stand with them and PROTECT them. Everyone who came to the park that day showed courage by taking the chance to know each other better despite the horrors of the world.

Even though the folks who stayed overnight were forced to clear out by the morning, a final act of solidarity with some recently-decamped university protestors & neighbors ensured that no essential distro materials were seized by the pigs and can be distro’d again! And again! And again! Nothing the state can do will ever undo the steps taken towards liberation over the past day or ever. We are, each one of us, immensely powerful.

What was learned? People need things, people are eager to give things, and people need people. Approaching resources from an abundance mentality keeps us nourished in all ways. 24+ hours of using the park to share with each other came from fostering conversations about what we needed in light of what we saw before us: the death of empire in its final throes to try and keep us too afraid of one another to realize the struggle is intersectional. Approaching public spaces with intention, making genocide un-ignorable in the most mundane parts of everyday life is essential.

People in the park out against genocide offering resources and engaging in conversation with their neighbors can be regular. Horizontal decision making is a daily practice, and neighbors understood there was no “org” because they know anarchists live here. What demands could have been made? Distro-ing will continue so long as there is a need. When will there no longer be a need? When we are all free. We are all ungovernable. May we all move a few steps closer today. Let’s hope to cross paths in the park again!

Be it with a crowbar, a tent, or a challenge + and open heart…we must liberate each other.

FTP, Palestine is almost free

Sincerely, your neighbor says

Philly Fight Night: A Report-back from a recent Anarchist Muay Thai Smoker in the United States

  • May 22, 2024 1:36 am

from Bash Back News

Introduction

On April 27, 2024 during the Northeast Regional Bash Back! Convergence, anarchists with an affinity for Muay Thai held an explicitly anarchist Muay Thai smoker (unsanctioned Muay Thai fight). This smoker was however organized as explicitly separate from Bash Back!

The idea to have an anarchist smoker in Philadelphia has been floating around for at least a few years now. A project that recently went semi-public in the city, Balagoon Boxing club (https://phlanticap.noblogs.org/balagoon-boxing-club-zine/), has interacted with other Muay Thai projects in the U.S. ,Canada, and Mexico which inspired some to host a smoker and get U.S A-team fight culture off the ground. Balagoon Boxing Club was in part galvanized as a counter to the rise of fascist fight culture, and for one thing knew we could put their shitty little smokers to shame…so we did. With people ostensibly coming from out of town to Philly for the BB! Convergence, we put the word out amongst our networks that there would be a smoker that weekend.

 

Bringing some violence to the weekend a crew showed up 2 hrs before the event to prepare a squatted warehouse room for a fight. This involved posing signage and placing glow sticks on the path for people to make their way to the event. It involved some final cleaning tasks, setting up table, chairs, sound and DJ equipment, mats for fighting, lights, etc. The mats we used were puzzle piece mats. The crew who helped put the thing on were so fucking helpful and we’re so thankful for each of their contributions. Fighters started trickling in and assembling in another space, here they could get changed, wrap their hands, and do pad work.

There were 10 fighters, so 5 fights. 8 fighters were local and 2 were from out of town. One of the out of town fighters was a last minute replacement, so we want to give a special thanks to them for stepping up and fighting hard. Organizationally, we aimed for each fighter to have 2 corners, one with more fight knowledge and one to give them water. We had a referee (who did a great job), a DJ (who also did a great job), a timekeeper (who did a great job, as well) with a sick custom bell, and a phenomenal announcer in a balaclava and bright orange suit. There was some rave lighting setting the mood. A black anarchist flag hung on the wall, as did a trans pirate cat flag. Each fighter was announced and walked out to a song of their choosing. Each fight consisted of three 3 minute rounds. It was so cute, incredibly fun, and the energy was fucking HIGH. There were about 100 people in attendance, people were crammed in and standing on the window sills. The crowd was screaming their heads off, heckling, chanting anti- police chants, it was so cute. The fights were all phenomenal, everyone did such a great job with their fights. Unfortunately, one person did get injured, thankfully our wonderful medical person was able to help them out. All in all, the event went better than expected, it was amazing. Afterwards, we cleaned up and left no trace that we were there.

To get a different angle on the fight, we had people write their perspectives on the smoker as attendees from outta town, fighters, members of Balagoon Boxing Gym, organizers and observers. These quotes are inspiring and speak to the energy at the event as well as broader theoretical and practical considerations for anarchists.

Some Perspectives on the Smoker

“The smoker was probably the highest energy I’ve felt at an anarchist event that wasn’t a protest or riot. I came away with a new sense of what it means to respect someone in a competitive setting. It was refreshing to switch things up after so many bookfairs. I was surprised at how nervous I initially felt waiting to fight. I’m looking forward to whenever the next one is!” – S, Philly

“The smoker was easily the highlight of bb weekend for me. As a fighter, it’s rare to get to be in martial arts or combat spaces where I don’t have to question my safety, and it was such a joy to be sharing that space with other people. Since lockdown, I’ve been grieving a specific category of social space– being alone with other people in dark spaces (think: live music, movie theatres, etc). The smoker was that space at its very best: here was a group of fucking freaks and weirdos expressing and appreciating aggression together, from the fighters giving their all on the mats or folks hootin’ and hollerin’ out from the very packed, standing-room-only crowd. It was beautiful to get to witness and celebrate other fighters that night. You could see how much work and consideration had gone into things to cultivate that night– you could see it in the boxing bell and the walk-on music and the extremely sick shirt designs, but also in the on-call medics, and the pride and care the fighters had for each other. You could see the hours spent building relationships with each other, you could hear the hard conversations folks had on consent and conflict, you could smell the sweat getting cleaned off the mats and gear and bags after every practice session. As an anarchist, these are the kinds of disciplines and commitments and socialities we need to be practicing all the time, and the smoker was such a fucking fun way to remember how to do it.” – m, chi

“The smoker was incredibly rewarding for me. Both because the event was a huge success in itself but also because it felt like the culmination of over a decade of growth in the radical fight training community in Philly. There was a time when @ fight training was 2 or 3 people in a park or lava with some gloves and maybe a set of pads. It was irregular and unfocused and that was reflected in our capacity (or lack thereof) in the streets. Now in Philly there are several independent clubs and training crews and of course our gym and that feels amazing. Hope that momentum continues here and in other places” – T, Philly

“I thought that the Philly smoker was incredibly invigorating. The night ended with an immeasurable high, and I’m glad I took part in it. I hadn’t intended to; when the event was announced, I considered it, but didn’t feel that my year of training was enough to feel confident in taking a fight with such a spectacle around it. But when someone canceled day-of, I decided to take a fight anyway. I’m not a boxer, and my sparse Muay Thai training, while strike-dominant, did not prepare me for a boxing match. Some of the technical skills of Muay Thai actually put me at a disadvantage for a boxing fight.

I’ve been training consistently about 2 days a week for a year, in a similar type of gym space as the Philly boxing club. I had tried in spurts in the past to train at a commercial gym, and with comrades, but it was inconsistent and short-lived. The commercial gym was far too expensive, and I rarely had the energy to attend consistently enough to make it worth it, as I was doing a lot of manual/domestic labor for work at the time. I think this is one of many reasons why a comrade gym is so important: most of us are broke and/or busy with a lot of other projects. But if we can eliminate the cost of maintaining a gym membership, it opens up a lot of space. Contributing to a comrade gym does take a lot of time and energy, but it can be a lot more rewarding than throwing money at or spending a lot of your time in a commercial gym that, at its best, can still be full of a lot of toxicity

I chose to fight last minute because I wanted to contribute to an event that friends/comrades had put a lot of work into-I wanted it to be as brimming as possible. It felt ridiculous and scary-I knew I was not going to ‘win’ by any measure of the word, and that it would be mostly a game of trying to leave the fight without a horrible concussion. I also chose to do it for personal reasons, mostly that an intense perfectionist mindset kept me from training martial arts for years before I started. I think that being visible being bad at something is a deep challenge for a lot of people, and something that is especially ripe in anarchist spaces. But we only learn by doing! And I think that confronting fear, anxiety and an uncertainty about one’s capabilities is an important skill and experience to expose ourselves to. I also think that egos really negatively impact radical spaces, and it’s important to constantly tamp down on our egos getting out of control. It’s good to take ourselves seriously a lot of the time, to understand the stakes of what we’re up against in this world, and the weight of it all, and also it’s sometimes useful to not take ourselves too seriously, to be able to laugh at ourselves and not be too beholden to maintaining a image or mystique of seriousness, militancy, whatever.

Learning to fight together is a great way to build friendships, trust, and potentially relationships of affinity. It’s definitely different to fight people you care about, because you have to learn a lot of control and calm to walk the line of proficiency and skill while also not going ham trying to destroy your friend. I definitely found myself having some chaotic preservation moments where I forgot my striking skills and was instead just trying to get my opponent the fuck away from me. And that happens sometimes in sparring but it went a lot more sloppy in the public fight (cool). It’s always way different than a street fight where anything goes; you have rules and the vibe isn’t destruction but skillfulness.

I’ve found that it’s actually way more difficult to be bad at things in front of my friends than it is total strangers. For that reason, a commercial gym is slightly appealing, but that appeal disintegrates when I’m exposed to the fat phobia, ableism and toxic masculinity of many commercial gyms. I like to create spaces where we can learn our limits and take breaks, but also try and push our limits a bit. Everyone is different, has different bodies and things that come up with exercise, fighting, social spaces, etc so I think it’s important to try to make a space that is as open as possible to being different. Sometimes we have to get over our own shit and just do the thing if we want to, or not. Not everyone is going to train and I think that’s totally fine. But it’s cool to open up the option as much a possible and it is a very important skill as this hell world grows worse. And sometimes it’s worth inspecting our internal world and seeing if it’s ego, fear or social anxiety that is keeping us from training, because hopefully that’s something we could try to work through a bit more. I think finding out what staying ‘fit’ or active means for our own bodies is worthwhile, and I think that exercise can be a generally positive way to manage difficult mental health struggles. Also, as a zine recently asserted, the downtime during waves of intensity can be really strange to navigate and keeping ourselves sharp and our relationships with one another connected as much as we can, is really wise.

For the most part the audience was very enthusiastic and supportive. People recognized that this is a very challenging thing to get up in front of people and do. And I saw intention put into encouraging both fighters during the match. Some of the people that were jerks were challenged and I think that’s tight. Before you talk shit, ask yourself if you would get into the ring. Ultimately, we are trying to craft a very different space than mainstream fight sports, so we always have to carry that with us. Maybe getting fixated on ‘dominating’ a friend/acquaintance in a fight, or trying to knock them out is worth challenging, while also understanding this is meant to be a test of training, and that it’s better to know our weaknesses in friendly company rather than on the street with our enemies.

I hope people’s excitement around the event can bolster enthusiasm for gathering with intention. Socializing can be nice, but I also think that building relationships through projects and skill building is really vital. Maybe not everyone is trying to fight train, but this can be a moment to recognize the effort that goes into these types of projects, and that if this isn’t your jam, that’s cool, but perhaps thinking about what it would be like to self-organize and create the type of project or event you want to see happening. I’m also really proud of my friends for their consistency in building the gym space, and seeing people put a bunch of time and energy into training, and to watch them put up such competitive fights; it was beautiful and inspiring.” – Paint Huffer, Indiana

“I walked into the smoker with some ambivalence and walked out with hella hope in my heart. I hate talking about hope because it feels manufactured sometimes and also pacifist but the type of hope I felt after the smoker was one that felt embodied. Literally. The smoker was a dope way to encourage relationship to bodily defense for anarchist and other radicals in the crowd. More smokers in more cities please!” – twig, Harlem

“After training for several years without having the intention of taking a fight, I jumped at the chance to do a smoker with friends and comrades. It felt like a relatively safe opportunity with a low barrier to entry that increased the accessibility, much like the gym spaces we respectively (and collectively) run. It was another opportunity to level up and grow together, after putting in a lot of work to increase our skills, and therefore having more to share with our collectives. The event itself was exciting, challenging, and a lot of fun to be a part of — and I hope it inspires more anarchists to train in combat sports. Doing difficult and somewhat dangerous things together is intimidating, but we are usually better for it, forging further trust and strength together — in addition to the potential practical application learning to physically fight affords us.” – C, Bloomington

“I think I really enjoyed the smoker because I think it gave me a goal to train and push myself for. I was also able to show everyone how much I improved when I fought. I think it was an important moment for anarchists in the United States culturally because it was an event that largely was attended by people from philly who aren’t coming exclusively from a niche anarchist subculture. Martial arts are widely practiced and super popular so there’s no reasons anarchists shouldn’t be doing them. I think co-training and a culture of fighting in anarchist spaces can lead us to having more confidence when it comes to confronting the police or other enemies. I think a smoker attracts a different group of people than a punk show or a reading group (not that those things are bad) so as someone who comes to anarchy not through subculture but through political and ethical utility for black struggle, this event felt really good. One of the best anarchist community events I’ve ever been to…maybe the best honestly. Like amazing contagious energy. We need these everywhere.” – A, West Philly

“I started doing muay thai with the boxing club in late summer of 2023; coinciding with witnessing the most documented genocide(s) of my lifetime and my exposure to insurrectionary anarchist spaces in Philly.

The potential for catatonic overwhelm and dissociation during this time is ripe; it’s become crucial for me to stay as grounded and responsive as capable. Over the past 9 months, my mentality towards strength and self defense has shifted significantly, along with the self-awareness to scale the intensity of my training while also knowing my limits. Though daunting at first, I’ve found a groove that works for me and have noticed many parallels between co-training in muay thai and insurrectionary anarchism.

Taking immediate action, practicing autonomy by defining my objectives, using unpredictable strategies while finding and creating openings in my opponent not only prepare me for a smoker, but also a potential conflict with an enemy. I’m grateful for the big nerds I’ve had a pleasure training with and proud of how well the smoker showcased what we have going on. S/O to all the hot trans fighters on gay tuesday ;)” – ~~~ philadelphia

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the smoker and what it means for anarchy/radical world, and while it was extremely beautiful to see everyone’s skills come to the front and to be able to showcase them, what really struck me was the way people threw down to make the actual event happen and how excited everyone was, in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. Like friends jumping in to make signs, be timekeeper with no experience, grab ice from the corner store, corner and making sure fighters were safe, take care of injuries with medic skills, help clean up after, make zines and tshirts to drop at the same time as the fight, etc. etc.. The excitement about doing something together was so palpable and makes me think a lot about how martial arts – while extremely transformative to learn as an art and practice on a personal level – can be so much more powerful as a social and interconnected activity that teaches us to look out for each other and also move/attack together. To me that deeply separates what we’re doing from a type of training that prioritizes a hyper-individualistic regimen of gains or individual strength or clout or whatever the fuck people train for. We’re learning to swarm dangerously.” – Temporary Muay Thai Autonomous Zone, Lenapehoking/Philly

“Attending the smoker was inspiring on multiple fronts. It was great seeing the fruits of years of peoples labor running the gym, training, and building with the local community. It’s rare to witness such tangible representations of people’s dedication and hard work and this was one of those moments. This felt especially important in light of the principles of the project. An anarchist project grounded in self defense and training up is neccesary for the work we want to do and one that also prioritizes queer and trans people is all the better. The project itself is incredible replicable and the zine they had available made this even more true.

Walking into the space felt like getting an instant snapshot into some of the amazing work happening in Philly. The energy at the actual smoker was electric. It was more high energy than some actions I’ve attended. There were chants in between rounds. The crowd was living for the fights. It felt like an honor to be there. It revealed something special about the capacity for anarchist social life.” – sangria, chicago

“The anarchist Muay Thai smoker in Philadelphia felt unprecedented. The energy in the room was electric, unlike any anarchist event I’ve personally been too in the States. People were chanting, cheering, absolutely overwhelmed with excitement. I’ve been to other radical fight gyms and combat sports events, I attended Friendly Fire Fight Club (FFFC) in Zurich, Switzerland. Despite there being twice as many people there than at the event in Philly, the Philly smoker had just as much of not more energy at times than in Zurich within the crowd. It’s relieving to see anarchists and community members enjoy each-other’s company and each-other’s violence. It’s a break from the monotony of endless workshops and seminars that accompany most regional anarchist assemblies, and a strong reminder of who we are by principle, fighters. I think these events are critical to further embrase a more physical practice within radical/militant spaces which I personally feel lack in their importance in the American context. Training is an absolute necessity (underline that shit!) and Philly demonstrated how it can bring us all together with more enthusiasm than endless and mostly useless conversations and semantics.” – Uzi, Raleigh North Carolina

“Between the pay to play model and the culture of gambling and placing bets on fighters, underground Muay Thai culture is usually heavily influenced by money. The underground space for the sport is historically so illegal bets can take place. On the other hand, sanctioned fights here in the West are unfamiliar territory to a lot of people. The training is long, fight camps and weight cuts are exhausting, and the amount of money you have to spend just to fight almost makes it not worth it.

There’s plenty of people who train Muay Thai here in Philly, wether at a “legit” gym or at Balagoon, who would have either never had the opportunity to fight, or wouldn’t want to put in the dedication needed for that experience. A lot of the anarchists here don’t train because of a love for the sport, they train for a variety of reasons that mostly have to do with just being more skilled at it than the Nazis and other white supremacists. (Not a hard task) – As one of the organizers and as the ref, I’m extremely impressed with all of the fighters, especially those who have only ever trained at Balagoon, which is just a bunch of anarchists getting together and sharing knowledge and experience, drilling and sparring. It’s proof that you can learn a combat sport outside of the coach to student model. Hosting a free smoker that felt that legit, and was that highly attended, I am so floored by. I saw so many faces I didn’t expect to see, that didn’t just come from the niche subculture of agro queer anarchists that were in town for Bash Back. This would have been a major success even if we didn’t host it on Bash Back weekend.
​​​​​​​
The energy in that room was electric. Reffing what was impressively clean Muay Thai, in a room full of outside agitators screaming anti capitalist and fuck 12 chants, felt like a movie. This was by far one of my favorite memories to date. I’m excited for the next one we put on, and for the future of the Anarchist Muay Thai scene. In Philadelphia and elsewhere.” – Meadow, West Philly

​​​

“I’ve generally been skeptical of the resurgence of Bash Back!, both as a convergence and a tendency. The resurgence has seemed aesthetically performative in both communication and practice. My understanding of these convergences has been that they feed the scenes cannibalistic nature for drama and couple that with hangoutism and hedonism. Not knocking hanging out or hedonism, I just don’t understand why it needs to be linked to this largely performative politics. This just reproduces cliqueyness often brought up in critiques of insurrrectionary anarchism, rather than extending the Bash Back! Tendency into a meaningful space of practice. The cliqueyness wouldn’t be so egregious if the tendency was actually bashing back, but without the practice, the whole thing lands flat.

The smoker during the BB! convergence was in part a criticism by example. The event was explicitly not a part of Bash Back! As an insurrectionary gender glitch who trains Muay Thai, in part towards a capacity to do violence in the street, I was interested in a display of what that looks in contrast to the rhetorical performativity about it abound in the philly scene. If one is serious in their desire to act against civilization, the state, etc., from my perspective it is important to take appreciable steps toward being more prepared to do that. This could involve martial arts training, fire arms training, trauma medicine training, wilderness skills, etc. Training in these ways with people increases our collective ability to act against our enemies, building trust between comrades and trust in our own capabilities.

The smoker brought some insurrectionary queer violence to the weekend in spectacular fashion. It was incredibly satisfying to both bring an event like this into existence and to participate in it as a fighter. As an environment, we wanted the space to be what it was, a rowdy underground anarchist fight night, and it was just that in the most beautiful way. As a fighter, it was overwhelming, I basically went from running around setting up and cornering other fighters right into my fight without a warm up or anything. I was very pleased with my fight, my opponent was great and tough, it was a good skill match up and really pushed me to my limits. The energy of the event was really great, all of the other fighters did great, it was so nice to have seen people progress so much in their skills and have the confidence to display those skills in a very public way. Its an extraordinary pleasure to train with people at Balagoon, that space is one of the most consistent comfortable spaces in my life. We were hoping that more fighters from out of town would participate, those who did were friends from a gym Balagoon has a relationship with, which demonstrated the importance of our networks in making things happen. The event would not have been possible without our out of town friends. The energy in the space was amazing, the aesthetic plus the actual event came together in a really satisfying way. It was one of the most unique and satisfying anarchists events I have ever participated in or attended. I’ve fought in anarchist smokers elsewhere and the grittiness and aesthetic of the event here put on display what can be so novel and interesting in the anarchist space in Philly.

Unfortunately, I did not feel like I was able to appreciate the event as it was happening, doing all the other tasks during the event was distracting. However, it seems like people had a lot of fun and were really impressed by the event. The whole thing went way better than I could have expected and I can’t wait until the next one. I’m incredibly thankful towards everyone who made it happen.” – Anal Terror, Filthy

“The Muay Thai smoker was my most anticipated events from the Bash Back! weekend. The smoker was invigorating. The energy from the crowd, fighters, DJ, referee, and timekeeper was bouncing off the walls you could almost see it. It was one of the few events that weekend that felt like it had a strong projectality. Many events, workshops, and discussions at Bash Back! felt surface level and not grounded in the fact that anarchist should equip themselves with skills to be able to destory empire and the state. With a spotlight on combat, the smoker pushed the idea that anarchism should involve a form of consistent collective training, whether that’s muay thai, boxing, jiu-jitsu, fire arms, medical, or intellectually. As someone who use to train muay thai consistently, it inspired me to work on a collective fighting project with comrades in my city. I’m excited about an anarchist future where combat is a shared political project in more cities in the u.s.”

– Griot, The Dirty South

Closing

Culturally, we wanted to this event to be explicitly anarchist, so we did not invite fighters from a broader Muay Thai community to participate. Ideally, we would like more fighters from out of town to participate next time as well, events like this can add some flare to regional convergences or be ones in and of themselves. This event was really fun to put on in several ways. Training together and preparing each other for the fight was a great way to build comradery and trust amongst comrades. The mood of the space can be cultivated, we went with a squatted warehouse fight club aesthetic, the walk-ons were equal parts cute and hard, the announcing a mix of kayfabe kitschyness and stadium seriousness. The fights were real and serious. Such an event is amorphous, the shape it takes on is the sum of those putting it on and the directions in which they want to take it. Collective excitement has the potential to create moments and shift culture towards activity, hopefully this event will inspire more people to train in whatever skills they desire to have, whether that be martial arts or something else. Deviations from the reading group/skillshare/book fair ways that anarchists gather with each other can introduce new and interesting directions into the projectuality of anarchist culture.

Drexel Students Set Up Palestine Encampment, Call for Divestment From Israel

  • May 22, 2024 1:05 am

from Unicorn Riot

Philadelphia, PA — Students at Drexel University established an encampment in support of divesting from Israel on May 18, following a rainy Nakba Day commemoration march from Center City that started around 4 p.m. Philadelphia and Drexel police officers quickly surrounded the encampment with a ring of metal barricades and largely barred additional people from entering; this was apparently at the orders of Drexel’s campus police chief.

There was a brief struggle over the metal barricade components, and at one point an officer brandished a Taser at the crowd but was pulled back by another, shortly after our reporters got onsite. As of late Monday the encampment was still in place.

Our livestream from inside the barricade ring ran for almost 3 1/2 hours until shortly before midnight Saturday (YouTube). The night before, nearly 20 demonstrators were arrested just blocks away at the UPenn campus which we also streamed live. Students and other observers we interviewed discussed everything from Philly’s protest culture and law enforcement practices to the Samidoun Prisoner’s Solidarity Network. Full livestream:

[Youtube link]

In a tense confrontation at the beginning of the stream, Philly officers in riot gear wearing “Counter-Terrorism Operations” badges briefly assembled inside the perimeter but withdrew.

A protest sign on Saturday night.

In interviews on-site students said that they were pushing to get Drexel to pull its investments from BlackRock, which does business with Israel, as well as other divestments. They also said that Drexel administrators have claimed it is illegal to disclose specific investments, but this is apparently not illegal at all. The Drexel Palestine Coalition has a list of demands posted online.

Tents late Saturday night.

Drexel announced that it would switch to online learning for Monday.

During late Saturday night, police were largely a static presence while dozens of students milled just outside the perimeter discussing politics and playing music. A lengthy know-your-rights training with Up Against the Law and National Lawyers Guild members also took place with most of the camp participants.

Camp supporters regularly handed supplies including stacks of pizza, large tent structures and medic supplies over the barricades without much interest from the police. A Unicorn Riot reporter stuck around until the morning as a police sweep seemed possible (UPenn’s encampment was cleared in an early morning maneuver).

While the encampments might seem like a typical exercise in campus politics it should be noted that these activities are regarded as a strategic threat to Israel because they could shift the intellectual climate in the United States, which is Israel’s main international patron. A series of articles by James Bamford in The Nation has shown that groups like the Israeli-American Council and Canary Mission are closely coordinating with Israeli government agencies to crush student protests in the United States by harassing protesters.

Plethora of Police Forces in West Philly since 1970s

Police from multiple units including Drexel and Philadelphia PD on milled around Saturday night southwest of the encampment.

After the shocking events at Kent State and Jackson State, in September 1970 President Nixon’s Commission on Campus Unrest, chaired by Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton, dropped its report (418 page PDF). One result was the rise of campus police departments.

As the Penn Disorientation Guide outlines, police forces multiplied during the campus crackdowns of the 1970s, until today:

“If you walk west down Market St. from 30th St. Station, in 1.5 miles you pass through the jurisdictions of six police departments: Philadelphia, Amtrak, SEPTA, Penn, Drexel, and Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA).”

A Brief and Violent History of Campus Policing, 2023

Campus police in this side of the city (Drexel & UPenn) have demarcated “patrol zones” which extend into the city.

Cover sheet for Nixon’s 1970 Campus Unrest report (large PDF)

Related: UPenn Students Arrested at Palestine Demo After Building Occupation Attempt [May 18, 2024]

Philadelphia Police Department in with “Counter-Terrorism” badges and riot gear earlier on Saturday night.

Social media clips and camera operation in latter sections of the livestream by Chris Schiano.

Some notes with love from an outside agitator to the Philly student movement

  • May 21, 2024 1:25 am

Submission

1. Shoutout to the Drexel students. Within a day, they have proven themselves to be braver and more interesting than the Penn encampment which remained mostly symbolic and toothless for its duration (apart from the students who tried occupy the building). The anti-police energy was palpable. The students took the initiative by breaking down barricades and braving facing down riot cops on the first night as well as shouting down other self important activists telling people to “be peaceful”. Additionally, the Drexel students wrote a wonderful response to President John Fry by embracing outside agitators, supporting disruption and rejecting narratives of “peaceful” protest.
2. As an anarchist, the ferocity of these Drexel students surprised and excited me. Generally, I’ve felt that the Palestine solidarity protests (whether organized by PPC or students) in Philly have been pretty tame and cowardly compared to the occupations and battles in the streets we’ve seen in other cities. However, I think that occupations/encampments are a limited tactic. I’d encourage students to explore other types of tactics to attack the university that allow them to “be water”. Stay in one place until it makes sense to move. In Portland, comrades abandoned their occupation of the library when it was clear they couldn’t hold it. Strategic retreat is real and valid. There’s no point in getting arrested or catching charges for nothing. Mass arrests are cute for activists on instagram but they don’t make any sense for those of us trying to . Live to fight another day. Targets exist everywhere.
3. Develop good security culture. One thing I noticed about the encampment at Drexel that was quite different than the Penn encampment was that way more people were wearing masks and bloc clothing. That’s dope. Keep it up. Also, maybe don’t bring your phones to actions. Phones are cops and full of info. Also, pulling out their phone seems to be something that people were doing rather than actively participating in the situation. I heard someone yell “put your phones down” and I agreed with what they said. Maybe read some zines together about security culture.
4. Don’t listen to activists or self proclaimed organizers. You got this. Ya’ll occupied it. Not them. When me and my homie were rolling up on the encampment one thing we noticed was that all of the well known activists with megaphones were leaving as soon as night rolled around. That’s good. Those people are cowards. As soon as the barricades started moving and the riot cops come out, the people who are the loudest on instagram will be the first to bolt. Drexel encampment was refreshing because unlike the Penn encampment, it wasn’t a whose who of shitty Philly activism. Focus on skill training and discussion groups rather than letting academics who want to use your movement for their own clout have a platform.
5. Understand that social movements are like waves. Eventually this one is gonna come to an end. So be ready for that. Be ready for the repression. But fight as hard as you can now cause is the mission.

ANARCHISTS AT DREXEL

  • May 20, 2024 1:17 am

Submission

At approximately 7pm on Saturday May 18, and one day before the birthday of Malcolm X, a Nakba Day rally and march ended in protestors and students spontaneously setting up an encampment at Drexel University, at Academic Quadrangle. Immediately, more than a hundred protestors locked arms to defend the students. This was the second pro-Palestine protest in two days, Friday’s action having ended in several violent arrests by the Philly Pig Department (PPD) in a similar attempt to occupy a space.

Shortly after, the resilient encampment defenders began jotting down phone numbers (on their arms) for attorneys, civil rights groups, etc.

Of course, PPD wasted no time calling in reinforcements by the barn-load, a few of them already decked out in riot gear, reminiscent of the genocidal IDF. It should then come as no surprise to learn that Amerikkkan cops receive training from their Zionist buddies in Isntreal.

As the sun went down, the pigs moved in. Several encampment defenders and even legal observers were threatened with a taser by an angry member of Philly’s “finest”; one of his partners yanked him backward before he pulled the trigger. There were several other minor altercations as well.

One can’t help but notice how the violence at protests and encampments begin and end solely with the brownshirt jackboots of the State. From capitalist cops to so-called “proletarian cops,” the role of all law enforcement has been the protection of private property and defense of genocide and colonialist supremacy since the days of Amerikkkan runaway slave patrols.

At the time of writing this, the encampment is ongoing and needs support. Philly Palestine Coalition on Instagram (@phillypalestinecoalition) will be providing updates for mutual aid, jail support, etc.

To fellow anarchists, we urge you more than anyone to show up. Bring food, water, clothes, zines, but more importantly, bring YOURSELVES. Support our comrades in the streets and the encampments. In order to live in a better world, we need to create a better world. No party will save us or bring the revolution. As one protestor continuously remarked, “We protect us.”

Anarchy is forever.
Death to the zionist state.
From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever.

Drexel encampment report back

  • May 20, 2024 1:15 am

Submission

Last night, students, anarchists, communists, and other community members took up occupation at Drexel University. What was at first perceived as another boring rally/march with WAYYY too many fucking speeches and shit turned into an encampment being sprung up. This particular encampment set up had it ups and down. The down side was that the pigs were surrounding it and at times were pushing, shoving, and threatening people with various weapons and cowardly tactics. Also, in comparison to the encampment at Upenn, this start up was really slow, and there were so many big tents that took time and effort to set up unlike at Penn where most tents were pop up tents and we were all able to set them up in pretty quick succession. Also, at the beginning, food and water were very scarce and to this point, police have barricaded protesters into the encampment and have not been letting people return when they leave, making it hard for people to use the various facilities leaving people unsure of where to use the bathroom. Also to note, a comrade had told me that because the march took so fucking long to get to Drexel that shit got discombobulated and items for tents were scattered due to the lack of sufficient numbers. On the positive side, camp did eventually get established, food and supplies were allowed to be brought in, students for the most part did stand their ground, made small pockets of barricades and harassed the cops. All in all, pretty successful I’d say.
Throughout the long day, there were small escalations here and there from both protesters and cops. At one point the police entered the camp grounds. But eventually were bullied off. Some of the escalating tactics by cops were threats of violence, carrying shields and long wooden batons. At one point, we even saw one fucker threaten a woman with a taser by pointing it at point blank to her upper torso. Ultimately, it was their so called commander piggy that told him to put his weapon away. Another point of tension saw riot cops swarm in like ridiculous and drunken bees. They were quickly dispersed though. Seems these fuckers will always be so fucking horny to fuck up some college kids just taking up space. Probably spend more time jerking off to that then fucking they girls. Though, they probably wouldn’t have much to do that with anyhow.
Over all, we shall see over the weekend if this encampment will last as long, if not longer than the Penn one. Let’s hope the kids keep escalating and don’t let the peace police get in their ears. Solidarity to all encampments domestic and overseas and fuck 12 in any city.

UPenn Students Arrested at Palestine Demo After Building Occupation Attempt

  • May 20, 2024 1:13 am

from Unicorn Riot

Philadelphia, PA – Nearly twenty University of Pennsylvania students and supporters were arrested after briefly occupying Fisher-Bennett Hall along 34th Street Friday night. Officers including UPenn’s Emergency Response Teams worked to shove hundreds of pro-Palestine demonstrators away from what they renamed Refaat Alareer Hall. (Alareer was a prominent Gaza professor killed by Israel late last year.) UPenn has also been a site of rallies against Ghost Robotics, an incubator spinoff company that has fast become a key world supplier of military robots including for Israel. We heard that the action was an extension of the UPenn protest encampment organizing that was swept by police action a week earlier, and was aimed at forcing UPenn to divest from companies that do business with Israel.

Philadelphia, UPenn, Drexel and SEPTA Transit Police were all activated during the evening’s events, and the Philly PD “Counter-Terrorism” team which often shows up at demonstrations was also spotted.

According to student reporters UPenn Police were seen with evidence bags at Fisher-Bennett.

Unicorn Riot was live for much of the street demo on 34th Street and after. Full live video stream (YouTube):

Legal observers and other members of the media were shoved away from the scene; approximately 18 people were arrested; at least two people were reportedly tasered, however this is not confirmed.

Team of police lifts a cuffed arrestee into the police van on 34th Street.

UPenn cleared the Palestine solidarity camp a week earlier; a similar action at the University of Chicago on Friday led to the occupation of the Institute of Politics building.

Amid a large number of Philadelphia Police Department officers present, a group of them looked at their cell phones while away from the line.

Law enforcement largely controlled 34th Street most of the time.

The arrival of another set of demonstrators on the west sidewalk after it had already been cleared, brought cheers from the crowd:

An additional group of protesters arrived from the north onto the west side of 34th Street.

The police moved their lines south in a couple steps away from the hall and tried to isolate the crowd onto the east sidewalk. However, the crowd took 34th Street then, moving quickly, turned east onto South Street and down to the Penn Museum alumni weekend event.

Drums crafted from water jugs have been a common element since they were used to bonk police officers at Cal Poly Humboldt in April.
More demonstrators and observers on the west side of 34th Street were eventually dislodged south and off these stairs by police.

The vast majority of officers didn’t seem to tail the demonstrators to the museum — showing the utility of cat-and-mouse moves that are difficult for burdened police units to match. (This is one reason the cavalry-like mobile field force program continues to be America’s leading, standardized anti-protest planning template — it is designed to get ahead of, and split up, quick protest formations.)

Besides the UPenn Emergency Response Teams, SEPTA Transit Police, and Drexel campus police also activated. A Drexel officer was spotted assembling zipties.

Officer Adkins from Drexel University Police assembling zipties.

Unicorn Riot heard from one demonstrator that an international student was barred from their dorm room earlier without reasonable options to retrieve their possessions — similar to other tactics seen recently in other campuses.

As of May 9, six UPenn student organizers were put on mandatory leaves of absence. We also heard that more recent disciplinary messages had just been sent out which might have chilled participation on Friday night.

An alumni event attendee clasped hands with a demonstrator through the fence and compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to apartheid-era South Africa.
A Palestine supporter on another’s shoulders holds the Palestinian flag outside the Franklin Fest alumni event.

According to a series of updates by the Daily Pennsylvanian student paper, the alumni event was closed down around 11 p.m. after the protest encounter at the gate. Demonstrators dispersed and dozens headed to jail support to Philly police headquarters at 400 N. Broad Street.

Social media clips and live video camera operation for the second half of the event by Chris Schiano.

For more from Palestine and pro-Palestine protests click on link below.

UPENN GAZA SOLIDARITY ENCAMPMENT

  • May 1, 2024 1:59 am

Submission

Calling all neighbors, organizers, radicals, militants, anarchists, outside agitators, and people of conscience to converge upon the UPenn Gaza Solidarity Encampment.

The students, faculty, and neighbors who initiated the occupation on Penn’s campus took a definitive step toward liberation for the people of Palestine, and all victims of colonization and imperialism the world over. This cannot be debated, and their actions should be applauded. However, over the course of the past three days, it has become clear that the student organizers who have placed themselves in control of the encampment are ill-equipped to seize the moment. Whether guided by fear, inexperience, or liberal politics, the most outspoken among us have shown themselves to be hostile toward action and escalation. Respectability politics, “optics”, and fear have stifled any attempts to force UPenn to take the action seriously.

When a single meager spraycan expressed its discontent, organizers used umbrellas to block the slogan until campus staff could send a cleaning crew. ZIOS FUCK OFF. Later that day, Penn’s president declared a hate speech investigation, and set the stage for the encampment’s looming eviction.

History has taught us that this WILL end in conflict and violence, “peaceful protest” claims be damned. The same pigs who played soccer with children in the quad yesterday will be back with pepperballs and batons tomorrow. The students who are more interested in cosplaying as revolutionaries before finals start, than actually exerting pressure to approach meaningful change, are not prepared for this reality.

Materially speaking, the camp is full of tents, food, resources, and bodies. There is still an opportunity to escalate, but the window is closing quickly. Come join us before it’s too late.

Free Palestine
No Arena In Chinatown
Stop Cop City
Chinga La Migra
Abolish The Police
ZIOS FUCK OFF

Penn Campus encampment reportback:

  • May 1, 2024 1:53 am

Submission

So, there was an encampment that was sprung up on the Penn campus on Thursday, April 25th. Guess I love the enthusiasm? It’s being put on by a couple different orgs I’m thinking. One thing I know for sure is it’s definitely a young crowd. Which, is cool, love to see younger folx doing cool shit. N this is probably a lot of their first time doing a protest encampment. Unfortunately, there’s obviously some dumb shit. Like, they got fucking rules and demands and shit. Obviously as an anarchist, I don’t really vibe. But hey, fuck ton of food and other supplies. Hopefully people can come take what they need. And it was nice to see more than a few other anarchists in the initial taking of the space. But I did notice people already getting peace policed. Idk man, people should just keep that in mind. Other than that, maybe we can try and get it to be more direct in action or something. The fact these people only have a plan to GET arrested and none to de-arrest is beyond my understanding. Asking us all to be “nice to the cops” while being arrested… *Sigh* Honestly, we’re hoping that there’s room to get people here to be more confrontational. I won’t hold my breath.

O.R.C.A. Grand Opening!

  • January 24, 2024 1:16 am

Submission

O.R.C.A Grand Opening

screening How To Blow Up A Pipeline
Feb 11
Doors 5pm
Film 7pm

DM for addy

O.R.C.A is a new nautical-themed social space in Philadelphia for anarchists and our radical friends. Organizing a reading group? looking for a space for an anarchist meeting? Screening a film or hosting a discussion/workshop? Hit us up if you want to do it at O.R.C.A! Expect open hours soon. We’ll be having our grand opening Sunday, February 11th! Come grab a zine, catch a film, and warm the space. Bring zines and posters to populate the space if you feel so moved.
We expect attendees to wear masks at this event, and will have masks available should you forget your own. We’ll have some seltzer and snacks, but always welcome more.
Access Info:
Unfortunately, O.R.C.A is not a very physically accessible space. Located in Southwest Philly off a trolley line, the space is up two flights of stairs in a building without an elevator. There are two gender-neutral bathrooms on the same floor as O.R.C.A.. The space is cold in the winter and warm in the summer. O.R.C.A has masks and covid tests available for free, always. Expect couches, chairs, benches, and soft surfaces in the space. If you have any access questions please feel fee to reach out.
You can reach us at orca.philly@protonmail.com

Our twitter is @OrcaPhilly it’s suspended at the time of this writing and maybe one day it won’t be.

 


Chester Avenue Dog Park Reopened

  • June 20, 2023 1:07 am

Submission

Park on 48th and Chester has been “reopened” for everyone to use and enjoy. Entrance can be found around 48th and Regent. Find the sign on the fence that says, “Reclaim the park!”


Judge orders encampment at University City Townhomes to be dismantled Monday

  • August 6, 2022 1:53 am

from mainstream media

“The encampment is trespassing on private property,” the judge said.

Signs erected outside of the University City Townhomes in Phila., Pa. where an encampment and protest has been ordered to end.
Signs erected outside of the University City Townhomes in Phila., Pa. where an encampment and protest has been ordered to end.ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

A judge has ordered that the protest encampment at University City Townhomes in West Philadelphia be cleared out by 9 a.m. Monday.

“The encampment is trespassing on private property and I have ordered it to be dismantled” by the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, Common Pleas Court Judge Joshua Roberts said during a hearing held via Zoom on Thursday afternoon.

The encampment, a mix of tenants and supporters, was formed with around 15 tents and a border of wooden pallets on the sidewalk nearly a month ago in response to the efforts by IBID Associates, owners of the townhomes, to sell the property for redevelopment.

Calling the judge’s ruling “absurd b.s.,” townhomes resident Krystal Young, 28, said Thursday night that people of the encampment have decided they will resist any attempt to break it up.

“We are gonna stand up and defend ourselves,” she said, without elaborating.

Darlene Foreman, 60, a member of the People’s Townhomes Residents Council, an encampment leadership group, concurred with Young.

“We are gonna do what we need to do, the best way we can,” she said. Asked to explain, Foreman said: “I can’t give you all the secrets.”

The 2.7-acre affordable-housing complex sits at 40th and Market Streets. As many as 69 primarily Black and Hispanic families are set to be displaced.

On July 22, Roberts issued the original order saying the encampment would have to be disbanded.

News of the Monday clear-out didn’t surprise people at the encampment, who had expected this outcome.

That didn’t make the judge’s order any easier to accept.

“This process is turning us upside down,” said Foreman, one of two townhomes residents who spoke during the court proceeding. “We feel disrespected. We could wind up living in some of the tents.”

A statement from IBID last month called the encampment “an unfortunate and ill-advised decision.” Those who gathered there had “no legal right to assemble,” it said.

In an unusual back-and-forth during the hearing between Roberts and attorney Daniel McElhatton, who represents IBID, McElhatton referenced the clear-out, and strongly suggested to the judge that anyone refusing the order to vacate should be “taken into custody.”

“I’m not going to do that,” Roberts responded.

“How about putting them on a bus and sending them to Baltimore?” McElhatton said.

Roberts didn’t respond directly to the remark. But he said: “Everyone is going to be asked to leave. No one will be detained.”

McElhatton didn’t respond to requests for comment.

IBID has owned and operated the townhomes for 40 years.

In 1982, the federal government agreed to make housing-assistance payments to IBID in exchange for IBID’s development and leasing of dwelling units on the property at subsidized rents, according to court records.

Once the 20-year term expired in July, IBID had a choice to renew its contract with HUD or opt out of the housing-assistance program.

In statements and conversations, people participating in the protest encampment have said that they wish to remain in the fast-gentrifying neighborhood, and that they’d be uncomfortable if compelled to relocate to areas outside West Philadelphia.

Tenants will be given housing vouchers, but they fear landlords won’t take the vouchers and they won’t be able to find affordable housing because of an ongoing shortage.

The townhomes are in the Black Bottom neighborhood, a historically Black neighborhood.

The property has long been zoned for commercial mixed use, which allows for high-density commercial office, research and development, and residential uses, court records show.

“Unfortunately, the owners are entitled to sell the property or do with it as they wish,” said Dennis Culhane, professor of social policy at the University of Pennsylvania and a national expert on homelessness.

“However, it’ll mean a net decline in low-income units.”

The program that the federal government used to offer favorable terms to IBID in exchange for making affordable housing available doesn’t exist in the same form that it did decades ago, Culhane said.

Because the government no longer makes these deals, there isn’t a pipeline of low-cost housing for people who need it.

“We have an affordable-housing shortage in this city,” Culhane noted.

Graffiti in Solidarity with Welaunee Forest Defenders From the Meadows of Lenapehoking (South Philly) for the Week of Action!

  • August 2, 2022 1:33 am

Submission

Graffiti in Solidarity with Welaunee Forest Defenders from the Meadows of Lenapehoking ( South Philly ) for the Week of Action that reads “From Welaunee Forest to the Meadows Defend Mother Earth Without Compromise!”

As our Friends and Comrades are fighting against the “Cop City” that is proposed to destroy the Welaunee Forest in Atlanta, We are connected in struggle here in the Lenni-Lenape meadows of so called “FDR” Park in South Philly. Over 100+ Acres of Meadows that that has rewilded is under threat of development by “astro-turf” sports fields and yuppie tourist shops. A large coalition of over 20+ groups and many autonomous people are resisting and will fight to defend the Meadows without compromise. The whole planet is under attack by colonial capitalist developers and the state and we are on the verge of runaway climate change! We need a global eco-revolution for our collective survival before it’s too late! So Destroy capitalism and the state! WHEREVER YOU ARE REVOLT FOR MOTHER EARTH!