July 28, 2018
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
Enav Emmanuel of the group Philly Socialists spoke at a press conference Thursday, where he claimed that despite Philadelphia Mayor Kenney making a personal brand for himself opposing President Trump, he was responsible for the unannounced police raids on the protest camp outside the Philadelphia ICE headquarters, July 5, 2018.
Following yesterday’s news from Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney that the city will discontinue U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to its real-time arrest database, the group of protestors that have been encamped at City Hall is leaving.
The encampment began at the Philadelphia ICE offices on July 2, and migrated to City Hall a week later after a police raid destroyed the camp.
Kenney gave the group a deadline of 2:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon to leave City Hall:
City spokesman confirms Saturday that #OccupyICEPHL protesters have until 2 p.m. today to leave encampment o/s City Hall because of a planned construction project: https://t.co/BHS3Z8w5vS
— Julie Shaw (@julieshawphilly) July 28, 2018
In a statement from #OccupyICEPHL organizer Deborah Rose, the group called the city’s decision not to renew the PARS agreement “a major victory for our occupation and for reducing the state-sanctioned violence against Philadelphia's immigrant communities.”
Earlier this month, police raided the group’s initial encampment at the Philadelphia ICE headquarters and made seven arrests.
The #OccupyICEPHL statement said the group would comply with Kenney’s request for the group to leave City Hall in order to avoid a similar clash unfolding on Saturday.
“Our decision to leave City Hall was reached to ensure our most vulnerable comrades are not placed at risk of police violence,” the statement said.
The group also expressed further demands for Kenney’s administration, including ending stop-and-frisk in Philadelphia, shutting down the Berks County Residential Center.
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