from Twitter
Philadelphia, PA: A federal judge just ruled *against* a requested injunction filed by lawyers representing homeless city residents fighting @PhillyMayor Jim Kenney’s plan to send in police to evict tent encampments. The judge reportedly requires the city to give 72 hours notice.
Here at the James Talib Dean memorial encampment on the Ben Franklin parkway, things are fairly calm and dozens of tents are still up along with hand washing and service stations. Some police are nearby but no plans for raids seem imminent today, although camp residents are wary.
As with Philly city officials’ previous threats to use force to clear these camps, many camp residents say they aren’t going anywhere no matter what the government says. Many supporters of the camps have also mobilized recently to defend against possible deployment of police.
Here is federal judge Eduardo C. Robreno’s order denying the injunction and clearing the way for @PhillyMayor to use force to displace homeless encampments during the coronavirus pandemic, despite CDC guidelines to the contrary. (H/t @KeeleyFox29 for court docs)
Several sitting members of Philadelphia’s city council have strongly opposed any move by Mayor Kenney to displace homeless Philadelphians seeking refuge at these camps. It’s unclear to what extent contentious city politics may delay any use of force by police on this matter.
Any sweep of camps (and militant protesters defending camps) would likely involve Philly PD SWAT. PPD SWAT gained national notoriety for extreme on-camera abuses during George Floyd protests. They’ve shown a clear eagerness to commit violence against protesters and reporters.
