Today near Philadelphia City Hall @RefuseFascismPH blocked a “ReOpen Philadelphia” caravan with chants of “Reopen=Death” “Science, Not Ignorance!” “Humanity — Not Me! Me! Me!” and most loudly #TrumpPenceOutNOW! #Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/bDSTRsiCJE
— Trump/Pence Must Go NOW—#OutNow (@RefuseFascism) May 8, 2020
From coverage at IDA | VOX in Philadelpha
Proud Boys Go A.W.O.L. As #RefuseFascism Steals the Show at Philly’s Branch Covidians Car Caravan
The anti-fascist group, along with independent political actors blocked, diverted and diminished the caravan away from the City Hall roundabout.
Philadelphia, PA– Anti-quarantine and pro-Trump activists sought a successful anti-quarantine car caravan protest around City Hall Friday. But the demonstration ended with a whimper as opposing protesters caused problems for them….
The car caravan moved en mass from the south at Broad and Oregon Streets, towards City Hall. At the intersection of Chestnut and Broad Street, they were stopped by activists who went into the street and blocked them for up to 15 minutes. The car caravan was able to proceed when police arrived and cleared the roadway.
The caravan made a few spins around City Hall but it was again disrupted once again when the west side of City Hall where Market Street intersects with 15th Street, a line of roughly a half-dozen cars that were a part of a counter-action organized by Refuse Fascism intercepted the caravan at the stop light and blocked the intersection. After paralyzing the caravan, they got out their cars to chant and “banner drop.” One side of the banner said “Trump-Pence Must Go” and the other side said “REOPEN = DEATH.”
After another 15 minutes or so the Refuse Fascism contingent left this major intersection, and left the anti-quarantine caravan seriously irritated. One caravan supporter reportedly threatened to slash the tires of the counter-demonstrators’ cars. No damage was observed however…
This was one of the first times there was a counter to the ReOpen rallies that have been taking place across the country in the wake of the pandemic shutdown. “We stood up for science over willful ignorance; humanity first, not ‘America first;’ and chanted ‘Humanity, not Me-Me-Me.’” Refuse Fascism Philly posted to their Facebook page. “We are facing the immediate prospect of hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths from this regimes handling of the pandemic alone, and they are using this to advance their fascist, genocidal agenda. It’s time to get organized to drive them from power.”
Pennsylvania has seen over 50,000 cases of Covid-19 and almost 3,500 deaths. Gov. Tom Wolf has said the shut down could extend into July.