In a rare instance, protesters attempted to block a highway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Tuesday evening but did not anger drivers, disrupt any traffic or jump onto and get thrown off of any police cars.
That’s because the group became disorganized and visibly confused midway through the process and quickly opted to give up and go away instead. The attempt perfectly summed up Tuesday’s protests, which sputtered out at around 9 p.m.
Anti-Trump protesters and pro-Trump protesters gathered in Philadelphia’s Independence Park ahead of President Donald Trump’s town hall late Tuesday afternoon. Police officers kept the two groups separate, and while tense moments arose, the protests remained peaceful.
A march among most of the anti-Trump protesters began around 8 p.m. Although the group started out together, the situation quickly began to dissolve. Some protesters opted to leave while a small group continued marching in an attempt to shut down a highway. (RELATED: Trump Campaign Hands Out ‘Peaceful Protester’ Signs To Crowd At North Carolina Rally)
But, the shutdown did not go as planned. A few of the protesters marched down the ramp and were followed by a police car, which they tried to block. The protesters allowed the car through after the officer explained over a loudspeaker that he was trying to block traffic so they didn’t get run over.
WATCH:
Some people try to stop a police car from going down the ramp. They let him pass after he says over a speaker that he’s trying to get down to the highway to stop traffic so no one gets run over pic.twitter.com/x9LafCmGA3
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) September 16, 2020
Tonight’s protest has fizzled our pretty early compared to many of the past events.
All that remains are some people dancing around at this “Jubilee 2020” tent — which was going on throughout today’s entire protest, BTW pic.twitter.com/091E8wHzrJ
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) September 16, 2020
As the group marched down the ramp, a commotion was heard from behind. Police officers on bikes had blocked off the remaining members of the group, separating them from those already walking down the ramp. After milling about for a few minutes looking confused and unsure, the small group abandoned their plan and trudged back up the ramp.
The police officers on bikes allowed them to pass and link up with the few who had been blocked from entering the highway.
These remaining protesters continued to try and march but soon stopped in front of City Hall, unsure of next steps. It was decided the group would self-disperse and head home for the evening.
Meanwhile, Independence Park had already been entirely cleared of protesters and roads that had been shut down for the event re-opened to drivers.