Hundreds turn out for ‘Pro-Blue’ rally in Philly [photos]

Hundreds weathered frigid temperatures Saturday to show support for Philadelphia area police at a “Pro-Blue” rally on Independence Mall.

Joe Eastman of the 6th Police District Advisory Council organized the event. The goal of the rally, he says, is not to point fingers at any other group, but to say thank you and show support to those in uniform.

Some supporters on the mall held flags, many held blank boards with strips of blue and some carried hand written signs with messages like “God Bless Police Officers,” and “All Lives Matter,”

“We recognize that all lives matter,” said U.S Congressman for Pennsylvania’s 7th District Pat Mehann (R) before speaking at length about the deaths of police officers yesterday in France, weeks ago in New York and fallen officers from the Philadelphia Police Department.

Invoking the shooting of NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in, Congressman Mehann said the pair were shot, “for nothing more than being police officers.”

For his part, Senator Pat Toomey, (R-Pa.), referenced the death of Officer Daniel Faulkner and Mumia Abu Jamal. “We haven’t forgotten his family and we haven’t forgotten that the danger that police officers face continues today.” Senator Toomey continued by citing that ten days into the new year ten police officers in the U.S had been shot.

Other guest speakers included Media, Pa. Mayor Bob McMahon, Fraternal Order of Police vice president James Wheeler and former Philadelphia Eagle and WIP Radio personality Gary Cobb who spoke about his father instilling in him at a young age a respect for police.