As a result of protesters getting too close to officers during direct actions, the Philadelphia Police Department on Wednesday confirmed it would reinforce 2709A of the crime code, which centers around harassment. The department said it aims to protect its officers from potential harm by ensuring individuals, who may or may not have bad intentions, are kept at arm’s length. Protesters who ignore the warnings – at least two will be given – will receive a non-traffic citation (protesters aren’t likely to be transported to a police station).
“Recently, there have been an increase in incidents wherein protesters encroach police officers, becoming chest-to-chest and/or nose to nose. In some instances, protesters have deliberately physically touched or chest-bumped police officers. These actions constitute harassment, which is a summary offense,” the department wrote in an email to Techbook Online.
Mostly recently, there have been protests to bring attention to the fatal police shooting of Mr. David Jones. Some of those encounters have been tense, and at times, protesters and police have come face-to-face. But the department contends the direct actions related to Mr. Jones’ murder have nothing to do with their decision.
“The enforcement of this existing law is not specifically related to, or directed at, Justice for DJ protest,” the department declared.
Mr. Asa Khalif and Mr. Isaac Gardner, who have been executing the majority of actions on behalf of the Justice for David Jones Coalition, asserts that PPD is lying.
“This is a direct result of the actions by the coalition. These are militant actions and they can’t take it,” said Mr. Khalif.
Mr. Gardner, who became an activist as a result of the June 8th fatal shooting, said the renewed enforcement of the crime code is “bullshit.”
The crime code to which the police department here is referring to is germane to the state rather than the city. And it defines harassment in a number of ways, including annoying or alarming another person; following a person in or about a public place or places; and communicating repeatedly at extremely inconvenient hours.
PPD stated on Wednesday that police officers have the right to remove persons who engage in the aforementioned activity to an arm’s length, thereby maintaining safety; a police officer did so last night, to a journalist, by shoving him nearly into the street.
Both Mr. Khalif and Mr. Gardner were present last night near the statue of Frank Rizzo, which drew a crowd once people began to call for its removal. Mr. Khalif argues that the police didn’t respect their space on Wednesday evening. Mr. Gardner contends that “we don’t approach them… they come to us and tell us to move back.”
Asked about their close proximity to police officers on Wednesday evening, Mr. Gardner said they weren’t approaching cops but rather attempting to access an overly guarded and controversial statue which stands on public property.
Officers with bicycles quickly surrounded demonstrators, with hopes of containing them. But that didn’t work. Protesters demanded and received space and eventually took to the streets.
“The city should implement a policy that says they have to keep their bicycles in arm’s length from us. They surround us like animals in a fucking cage,” Mr. Gardner said Thursday morning.
The two activists agreed that the crime code should work both ways. The department as of now has no plan to widely promote the shift in enforcement.
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