Some Philadelphia Black-Owned Businesses Destroyed; Activists Call for Action

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Several civil rights organizations held a peaceful protest at Philadelphia's City Hall Monday afternoon addressing the looting and violence in the city.

Leaders spoke on poverty, educational disparities and police brutality being contributors as to why so many are outraged and destroying businesses in their own community.

Broken glass and a young entrepreneur's livelihood completely shattered.

"When I got home alone I shed a few tears. I saw my business down and it hurt me a lot and especially for my own community to do it to my business, that's what really (hurt)," Elliott Broaster said.

Elliott Broaster's Smoke N Things shop on Cecil B Moore one of the several attacked after a night of chaos broke out throughout the city sparked by the senseless murder of George Floyd. What took years for this Temple grad to build was destroyed in a matter of minutes.

"It's just a young man trying to do something for the community as well and this is what happens 'why are they doing this we don't know you're tearing up places you have to live,'" Renee Williams his grandma said.

"It's really time to make a change and destroying people's livelihoods is not the answer, it's the answer. We have to do better," Broaster said.

It was a similar call for action at peaceful protest with community leaders including the Human Rights Coalition 215 and Philadelphia Community Stakeholders among several civil rights organizations.

And the city's Black Clergy are calling for peace

Now another major point that was brought up is that if people are upset with injustice to use their power by voting and tomorrow is primary day in Pennsylvania.