https://twitter.com/jpegjoshua/status/845706995164463105
Trump supporters held a “Make America Great Again” march in Philadelphia on Saturday, just one of such events that was organized across the country over the weekend. The Philadelphia march did not go according to plan (or perhaps it went exactly as planned) though, when anti-Trump supporters showed up in droves, clashing with the pro-Trump crowd and forcing police to shut down the event hours early.
All in all, Center City Philadelphia was the scene of chaos Saturday afternoon as police struggled to manage the crowds, but that doesn’t explain what transpired in the above video, captured by journalist Joshua Scott Albert who was there covering the event. In the short, four second clip, a Philadelphia police officer can be seen picking up his department-issued bicycle and and hurling it at a protester who was walking away with his back turned. The footage is shaky but the bike appears to hit the protester on the backpack as he continues to walk away.
It’s not known if the protester did something to antagonize the officer before the video starts recording, however it’s more than clear that the man was walking away and did not present a threat. Internal Affairs are now looking into the incident and attempting to identify the officer in question.
Albert later spoke with Philly Voice, who confirmed that the protester did not appear to be acting aggressively when he was hit with the bike.
Albert said he was sure what happened leading up to the event he captured on video and doesn’t know what inspired the officer to swing the bike.
From his perspective, the protester was merely walking away when the bike went airborne.
“He wasn’t being aggressive,” Albert said of the protester, who appeared to be struck by the bicycle’s back tire, he said.
The footage is certainly concerning, to say the least. Alert is working with Philadelphia police to help identify the officer.
Here are some other images and video he captured during Saturday’s event:
https://twitter.com/jpegjoshua/status/845662233313116160
https://twitter.com/jpegjoshua/status/845670351149432832
https://twitter.com/jpegjoshua/status/845673258112483329
https://twitter.com/jpegjoshua/status/845674668447203328
https://twitter.com/jpegjoshua/status/845676993584779264
https://twitter.com/jpegjoshua/status/845686941030998016
https://twitter.com/jpegjoshua/status/845703864099782660
https://twitter.com/jpegjoshua/status/845740571100692481
(Via Philly Voice)