Low turnout for Blue Lives Matter march, while arrests made at counter protest

More officers than demonstrators were at the Blue Lives Matter rally that took place at the Liberty Bell.

Darryl C. Murphy

August 25, 2018

Bernard Rhodes carries a flag in support of law enforcement and waits at the Parkway to join a scheduled Blue Lives Matter rally at Logan Square on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Fewer than twenty-five people participate in a Blue Lives Matter march from Independence Mall, trough Chinatown, toward Logan Square, on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Participant in a Blue Lives Matter march watches from behind a bike line at Broad and Arch Streets, on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Officers on bikes escort a group of protestors at a Blue Lives Matter march as it goes over Arch Street, towards Logan Square, on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Participants in the Blue Lives Matter march watch from behind police vehicles as a group of counter protestors blocks the path of the march, at Broad and Arch Streets, on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Police come between counter-protestors (on the right) and a Blue Lives Matter march, as it attempts to cross over Broad Street, towards Logan Square, on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Antifa protestors ran up Broad Street after evading a police blockade in an attempt to intercept a Blue Lives Matter march. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
Protestors were blocked by police on Arch Street as they attempted to intercept a Blue Lives Matter March on Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
Protestors were blocked by police on Arch Street as they attempted to intercept a Blue Lives Matter march on Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
Protestors, some with the organization Antifa, marched from City Hall Saturday morning to counter a Blue Lives Matter March that began at Independence Mall. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
Protestors, some with the organization Antifa, marched from City Hall Saturday morning to counter a Blue Lives Matter March that began at Independence Mall. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
Protestors, some with the organization Antifa, marched from City Hall Saturday morning to counter a Blue Lives Matter March that began at Independence Mall. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
Protestors, some with the organization Antifa, marched from City Hall Saturday morning to counter a Blue Lives Matter March that began at Independence Mall. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
Participants in the Blue Lives Matter march watch police and counter-protestors face each other, near Broad Street, on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Police officers and counter-protestors clash as a small group of Blue Lives Matter protestors attempts to march in Center City, on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Counter-protester is seen taken into custody as police detains multiple people as a small group of Blue Lives Matter protestors attempts to march in Center City on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
Activist Joe Cox stands on the Ben Franklin Parkway as a small group of Blue Lives Matter protestors attempts to march in Center City on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
A protestor is arrested by Philadelphia Police during a scuffle that broke out on Race Street between Antifa protestors and the police. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
Partcipants in the Blue Lives Matter March watch from across the street as several Antifa protestors were arrested. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
A protestor is arrested by Philadelphia Police during a scuffle that broke out on Race Street between Antifa protestors and the police. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
A protestor is brougt down by Philadelphia Police during a scuffle that broke out on Race Street between Antifa protestors and the police. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
Antifa protestors were met again by a police blockade after an attempt to intercept a Blue Lives Matter march. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
A protestor is arrested by Philadelphia Police during a scuffle that broke out on Race Street between Antifa protestors and the police. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
A protestor is brougt down by Philadelphia Police during a scuffle that broke out on Race Street between Antifa protestors and the police. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)

More officers than demonstrators showed up for the Blue Lives Matter rally that took place at the Liberty Bell.

The event was organized by Sports Beer and Politics, a group that describes themselves via their Facebook pages as a “community of Patriotic American Citizens and US Military Veterans” whose “goals are to expose the corruption of our government and the mainstream media, as well as laugh at snowflakes while talking sports over some beers.”

About 20 people were escorted by police from 5th and Market streets to Logan Square as they showed their support for law enforcement.

Despite the less than favorable media coverage police departments endure, said demonstrators, cops aren’t the enemy.

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“I’d just like people to be aware that our police officers are here to help us,” said Fran Woodruff, a Republican ward leader in the city.

“They’re not out to get us, they’re not out to make our lives more difficult. They’re here to help us when we need help.”

Philadelphia mayoral candidate Billy Ciancagliani and U.S. House candidate Bryan Leib were among the demonstrators echoing Woodruff’s sentiments.

The march was initially routed west down Market Street, but just blocks away from the small march, some 50 counter-protestors gathered near City Hall in opposition to the group, claiming they were supporting white supremacy and Nazism.

As Blue Lives marchers were peacefully led to their destination, police blocked counter-protestors’ efforts to clash with them in the middle of Broad and Arch Streets.

“The police aren’t here to protect you,” said Alex Hall, a member of Industrial Workers of the World. “They’re here to uphold the existing status quo.”

According to police, some protesters began fighting with officers resulting in 16 arrests. Nine of the arrested received citations for failure to disperse. The remaining seven were charged with disorderly conduct, a third-degree misdemeanor.

Some protesters claim the arrests were unjustified, accusing the officers of provoking an incident and using excessive force.

Via an updated statement, police said, “the entire matter is under internal review.”

After the brief chaos at the intersection, some of the remaining counter-protesters walked toward Logan Square, where Blue Lives Matter marchers were scheduled to convene.

However, both demonstrations fizzled out shortly after without incident.

Greg Duva, came down from New York to be a part of this counter-protest. “I’m definitely opposed to police brutality and the right wing fascism doesn’t sit well with me. It’s important to show strong hands against this stuff”. (Taylor Allen/WHYY)

People arrested at the Antifa counter-protest to #BlueLivesMatter march which is on its way to Logan Square @WHYYNews @TayImanAllen has more pic.twitter.com/1aPNPeuT1j
— Darryl C. Murphy (@darrylcmurphy) August 25, 2018

The #BlueLivesMatter March is underway. About 20 people are marching down Arch Street toward Logan Square in support of police. @WHYYNews @BasSlabbers pic.twitter.com/ZdL6p5hLew

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— Darryl C. Murphy (@darrylcmurphy) August 25, 2018

the antifa group disrupting traffic has started on Juniper Street @WHYYNews pic.twitter.com/Kag4z1Lexb
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen) August 25, 2018

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Taylor Allen contributed to this report.

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