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Following the police shooting of Walter Wallace, a Black man, riots, and unrest exploded in Philadelphia, according to News Week.
*Alert* A large crowd of appx 1000 is looting businesses in the area of Castor and Aramingo. Avoid the area
— Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) October 28, 2020
Stores like Foot Locker and Walmart were heavily looted, with protesters taking televisions and more.
Reports claim that roughly 1,000 people were involved in the looting.
The Philadelphia Police Department is requesting that all residents in the 12, 16, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26th Districts remain indoors except when necessary. These areas are experiencing widespread demonstrations that have turned violent with looting.
— Philadelphia OEM (@PhilaOEM) October 28, 2020
“The Philadelphia Police Department is requesting that all residents in the 12, 16, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26th Districts remain indoors except when necessary,” the agency tweeted.
“These areas are experiencing widespread demonstrations that have turned violent with looting.”
“Vandalism and looting is not an acceptable form of First Amendment expression,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said, citing the constitutional right to free speech.
“Last night we saw further evidence of the anguish of Black and brown residents of our city who have struggled their entire lives under systemic racism.”
From Newsweek:
Footage aired by local news channel KYW-TV showed people entering a Foot Locker store and a Walmart in the Port Richmond neighborhood, northeast of the city center, before re-emerging armed with televisions and other goods.
The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management also urged people to steer clear of the vicinity, saying authorities had requested residents in several districts “remain indoors except when necessary.”
Elijah Schaffer, a reporter for right-wing media outlet BlazeTV, claimed to have been attacked by those taking part in the looting, alleging he was targeted by “rioters while they were looting more than a dozen stores.”
“Though in pain, I didn’t stop reporting because Americans need to see what the corporate media refuses to show,” he tweeted.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is currently investigating the shooting of Wallace jointly with the police unit tasked with investigating officer-involved shootings.