Pennsylvania Black Lives Matter protesters crashed a children’s event Monday to voice their anger over the police shooting of a black man.
Activists interrupted a speech former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell was giving to commemorate the 11th anniversary of a Philadelphia park’s founding, reports 6ABC. The protesters, angry over the fatal police shooting of David Jones, accused Rendell of having “blood on his hands” at the Franklin Square event.
“And now you have the ultimate politician who is anti-black,” the activist said, turning towards Rendell. “There is nothing but blood on his hands.”
North Philadelphia police officers shot Jones, a black man, in the back after a June traffic stop. The officer, James Pownall, stopped Jones because he was driving recklessly. Pownall gave James a pat-down, during which he felt a gun in the man’s waistband, according to the police account. James escaped as the two fought each other, prompting Pownall to pull out a gun and shoot James in the back as he ran away.
A white woman tried to interrupt the activist with the microphone, but he told her to “back up off me.”
“Back up off of me. Back up off of me,” the activist told the woman. “Because a black man was shot, I know you don’t give a damn about that. You and your white privilege.”
Parents and children eventually had to be led to a different location due to the protest.
“And we’re saying now that no politician will be safe, no event, no press conference, we don’t care what we have to do. We’re saying as far as that’s concerned, we want justice for David Jones immediately,” said Asa Khalif, an activist with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Rendell defended the protesters but pointed out that they probably shouldn’t have interrupted a children’s event.
“They have the right to say what they want to say. I wouldn’t have disrupted a ceremony that was basically for children, but that’s their call. But look, if they want to disrupt ceremonies as long as they’re in public places, they have the right to do that,” Rendell said.
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