Philly Area Protests: Disaster Emergency Declared, 100+ Arrested

LATEST UPDATE: Fires, Looting Continue Sunday In Philly, 200 Arrested: Police

PHILADELPHIA, PA — A disaster emergency was declared in Philadelphia as the city and the suburbs handled riots and looting late Saturday and early Sunday protesting the death of George Floyd. More than a hundred were arrested in the city, and 13 police officers were injured, authorities said.

The aftermath of the riots — which began as a peaceful demonstration along the Parkway — left Walnut and Chestnut streets and parts of the surrounding neighborhoods strewn with clumps of trash, as this clip from the Philadelphia Inquirer shows. Expletives were scrawled in graffiti across the fronts of shops and the sides of buildings. Numerous storefronts were damaged or destroyed. Broken glass coated parts of the sidewalk and streets.

Several fires were set, including a three-alarm blaze which raged at 17th and Walnut at around 10 p.m. It was not put out until 1 a.m., the Philadelphia Fire Department said. Around 120 firefighers responded to the fire.

Crews remained on the scene through the morning to ensure all the hot spots were out in the area, officials said.

>>Philly Under Curfew As Protesters Start Fires, Damage Buildings

“People have every right to speak out and demonstrate, but it's unacceptable to take advantage of protests to incite violence, harm others and destroy property,” Gov. Wolf said in declaring the emergency.

Of the 13 Philadelphia police officers injured, seven suffered chemical burns to their face, and four suffered injuries to their extremities, police said. All officers were treated at nearby hospitals.

Videos shared across social media showed large groups gathering around businesses, hurling metal chairs against glass doors until they shattered. Several vehicles as well as a Starbucks were set on fire in the area of City Hall.

Charges against the arrested protesters include looting and burglary, firearms violation, assault on police, theft, violating curfews, and related counts.

Demonstrators were protesting the death of Floyd, 46, at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for nine minutes. In a now viral-video of the incident that has sparked calls for police reform and demonstrations nationwide, Floyd is heard telling officers, "I can't breathe," and asking for water.

The protest began as a peaceful demonstration, as State Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) noted, and stressed that the violence and looting of some shouldn't distract from the larger purpose of the event.

"I get it, I was there and it was a peaceful protest with people from all walks of life, and then it wasn’t," Street said on Twitter. "Do not allow interlopers to change the narrative."

Wolf's declaration gives the state and its agencies power to help Philadelphia, its suburbs, and other places that have been hit by the protests, including Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. It allocates $2 million in funds to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Assistance Compact to increased or decreased as conditions require.

It's not yet clear how much financial damage was caused in the riots. The damage was not constrained to the city of Philadelphia. Demonstrators also gathered in parts of the suburbs, including the King of Prussia Mall. Some windows were smashed, but there was no incursion made by protesters into the actual mall, according to State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery).

A few restaurants on the perimeter of the mall were damaged over the evening, Leach said. It's not yet clear which ones. Upper Merion Township issued a declaration of emergency overnight.

Officials estimated that more than 200 police officers responded over the course of the evening.

The protests inspired passionate responses from local officials. State Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) called for unity.

"It is imperative that each of us unites with each other in condemning the murder of George Floyd, and commit ourselves to overcoming racism in our lives and in the life of our community," Dinniman said in a social media statement Sunday. "I apologize, as a white American, to my Black Brothers and Sisters for the continuation of racism in our society and clearly understand my responsibility to work for its elimination. Both myself, and each of us, needs to ask: If not now--when? If not me--who?"

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale condemned the looting and violence and attributed it to the "radical left."

"This filthy criminal behavior can’t be tolerated any longer," he said Sunday. "It was especially sickening to watch Philadelphia’s leftist sympathizing mayor and police commissioner allow chaos and anarchy to run wild in the streets as property was destroyed and innocent citizens were terrorized."

The city of Philadelphia implemented a mandatory curfew Saturday night into early Sunday. Only individuals with "essential" duties were permitted outside. Leach said it was possible a curfew would be implemented again Sunday night.