Penn students, community members protest disinvestment in West Philly

A protest kicked off in Malcolm X Park at 3 p.m. organized by a new group called Enough is Enough, based out of UPenn, which aims to end police brutality, over-policing and under-resourcing in West Philadelphia.

Lisa Simpson and Leia Schenk travelled all the way from Los Angeles to take part in the protest. Simpson has been traveling the U.S. attending anti-police brutality protests for years, since her son, Richard Risher, was killed by the LAPD.

Lindo Jones (LindoYes) said he’s done all the grieving he can do and wants to take action on the murder of Walter Wallace Jr. pic.twitter.com/D0K35sjTOF

— Layla Jones (@bae_lay) November 2, 2020

• WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

“They keep killing us and getting away with it,” Simpson added. “Every time somebody gets killed, they open my wounds back up.”

Schenk, with the organization Empact, pointed out that people experiencing mental health crises, like Walter Wallace Jr., need treatment rather than use of force.

“He needed a weaponless response. He didn’t need guns, he needed help,” said Schenk.

Enough is Enough was founded by Philly native and University of Pennsylvania city planning student Ebony Powell, whose focus is on holding universities and health care institutions accountable for harm they are causing in Philadelphia’s Black and brown communities.

“They are all complicit in the perpetuation of poverty, crime and violence within Black and brown communities,” said Powell.

However, as a Penn student, she is particularly interested in holding her own institution accountable.

“Penn is very influential and extremely responsible for the over-policing, for the divestment, for the gentrification … happening within West Philadelphia,” said Powell.