Philadelphia Demonstrators Protest Homeless Encampment Eviction

Protesters blocked police and other individuals from serving eviction notices to people living in an encampment along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, September 9.

The notices were the third time evictions have been planned at the site since the camp appeared in June, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Local news reported members of the clergy and local law enforcement attempted to enter the encampment to talk to people living there about housing alternatives, but were not able to pass barricades set up by the camp’s residents and protesters.

Previously scheduled clearings were postponed after Mayor Jim Kenney got involved in the negotiations and encampment organizers went to court in an effort to stop the evictions, the Inquirer reported. A federal judge ruled that the removal of the campsite could go ahead.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that local officials said their emphasis would be on voluntary relocation rather than forceful removal.

Videos filmed by Jason Peters show protesters creating a barricade and some local residents of the encampment speaking to the crowd. Credit: @Jpeters2100/jasonadjacent.com via Storyful