October 08, 2011 06:33 AM
City of Philadelphia Rolls Out The Welcome Mat For Occupy Philly
So far, the City of Philadelphia is supportive of the protesters. (Mayor Nutter has informed them that tonight he will host a showing of Game 5 tonight of the Phillies-Cards series.) I even talked to a cop who shrugged and said, "These people are no threat to anyone. They have a point of view and they're expressing it." (He said he was more worried about the crowd they might get if the Phillies win tonight.)
Cleveland Johnson, 64, ("Cleveland, like the city") lives in Pennsauken NJ but grew up in Philadelphia. He said in the Sixties, he walked picket lines in Philadelphia for the integration of Girard College. "I was here when Rev. Martin Luther King came through," he said.
Police Chief Charles Ramsey is having the First Amendment read regularly over the police radio, and reminds his officers that citizens have the right to record or take pictures of police activity.
And the city even blocks traffic for them and lets them march around City Hall during rush hour. So far, so good. We'll see.
***
Cleveland Johnson, 64, ("Cleveland, like the city") lives in Pennsauken NJ but grew up in Philadelphia. He said in the Sixties, he walked picket lines in Philadelphia for the integration of Girard College. "I was here when Rev. Martin Luther King came through," he said.
Then he pointed to the diverse group of young people.
"That was our time, and this is their time. They're standing up for what's right."