Philadelphia police response during Pride celebrations draws protest

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Dozens of people rallied Monday evening, accusing Philadelphia police of using excessive force during Pride celebrations in the Gayborhood a day earlier, as officials defended their actions and announced a review of the incident.

Police said 15 arrests were made Sunday evening, mostly for disorderly conduct, with one for aggravated assault on an officer.

Videos show a heavy police presence along 13th Street during the celebrations. Crowds appeared confined to sidewalks behind barricades, with limited ability to move freely.

In one clip, a person can be heard saying, "It's just a mess right now, it's not a vibe."

Another video captured a tense confrontation between a man and two officers before a third officer appeared to step in and de-escalate the situation. Additional footage reportedly showed the aftermath of someone being taken to the ground by police near Woody's bar.

On Monday evening, in response, there was a protest through parts of Center City.

Jacen Bowman, president of Philadelphia Black Pride, was not involved with the protest and had no part in organizing it, but still called out officers' conduct.

"The city needs to do better, and when I'm speaking about the city, I'm talking directly to our police department," Bowman said.

He added, "They created this problem and were too aggressive. I understand the police job is to protect and serve, protect and serve, not agitate and aggravate."

Police said Pride events were largely peaceful earlier in the day, but that crowds moved into the Gayborhood sooner than expected, creating conditions they said required intervention.

According to police, officers responded to fights, disorderly behavior and blocked streets before moving to clear the area.

In a statement, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said in part, "That decision was not made in any way, shape, or form because people were celebrating Pride. It was made because officers were increasingly dealing with public safety issues and reached a point where we could no longer safely maintain the conditions that existed on those blocks."

Bowman called for further scrutiny of police actions, saying, "There needs to be a formal investigation into how those police acted against them queer people yesterday. It was disgusting."

In his statement, Bethel also said, "Those concerns are being taken seriously, and we are conducting a full after-action review of yesterday's operations. We also encourage anyone who feels as though they were treated unprofessionally by PPD personnel to contact us."

The review will reportedly include a closer look at crowd-control decisions and officer conduct, including officers wearing face coverings, which are not permitted.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel issued a statement to Action News:

"Yesterday, the Philadelphia Police Department deployed hundreds of officers to support Pride events throughout the city, including the festival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the large crowds that later gathered in the Gayborhood and surrounding areas.

The day began with a large, peaceful celebration on the Parkway. A decision to move the primary festival footprint to the Parkway was made in part because large, open venues are generally safer and easier to manage from a public safety standpoint than dense crowds gathered on city streets. Throughout the day, officers worked alongside event organizers and our public safety partners to support what was, by all accounts, a successful event attended and enjoyed by thousands of people.

As the day progressed, however, large crowds began gathering earlier than expected in the Gayborhood while significant attendance remained at the Parkway event. Historically, the main festival concludes, and attendees gradually transition into neighborhood celebrations. Yesterday, what developed was essentially two large-scale events occurring simultaneously in different parts of the city.

As crowd sizes increased in the Gayborhood, officers responded to a growing number of public safety concerns, including fights, disorderly behavior, blocked roadways, and the challenges associated with safely managing large crowds in a confined area. Additional resources were redeployed to the neighborhood, including mounted officers, dirtbike units, and MIRT personnel. These units were utilized because they are specifically equipped to move quickly through congested conditions and respond to developing incidents.

As conditions became increasingly challenging to manage safely, a decision was made to begin clearing portions of the area. That decision was not made in any way, shape, or form because people were celebrating Pride. It was made because officers were increasingly dealing with public safety issues and reached a point where we could no longer safely maintain the conditions that existed on those blocks.

Over the course of the evening, Philadelphia police made 15 arrests. The majority were for disorderly conduct-related offenses, while one individual was arrested for aggravated assault on a police officer. Additional arrests and charging decisions remain subject to review as reports are finalized.

We are also aware of concerns that some officers assigned to the detail were observed wearing face coverings while engaged in crowd control activities.

Let me be clear: those face coverings are not part of the Philadelphia Police Department uniform. Regardless of recently enacted City Council legislation concerning officer identification, those officers should not have been wearing masks while performing these duties. That expectation existed before the legislation was passed, and it remains our expectation today.

We are currently working to identify the officers involved, determine how this occurred, assess whether there were any supervisory failures, and determine what corrective action may be appropriate.

At the same time, it is important to keep this issue in perspective. Nearly 600 Philadelphia police officers were assigned to Pride-related events throughout the day and evening, including more than 150 officers assigned specifically to the Gayborhood footprint, with additional personnel redeployed there as conditions changed. We also recognize that this occurred in the Gayborhood and understand the concerns that many members of the LGBTQ+ community have expressed as a result. Those concerns are being taken seriously, and we are conducting a full after-action review of yesterday's operations. We also encourage anyone who feels as though they were treated unprofessionally by PPD personnel to contact us.

Pride is an event the Philadelphia Police Department has supported for many years, and we remain committed to ensuring that people can celebrate safely while also addressing public safety concerns when conditions require us to do so."