Andrew Grossman
During a September 26 hearing, Judge Wendy L. Pew quickly dismissed murder charges against killer cop Mark Dial, the Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed Eddie Irizarry in August. Police stopped Irizarry for erratic driving, and within a few seconds of approaching his vehicle, Dial shot into the closed driver-side window and killed him.
The police first said that Irizarry had lunged at the officers with a knife outside the vehicle, prompting the shooting in self-defense, but the body-cam footage released shows this to be a lie. Nevertheless, in response to Dial’s defense attorney arguing that charges should not have been filed, the judge quickly agreed, stating “I agree with you 100%.”
The DA is appealing the decision and attempting to refile murder charges against Dial. The hearing on the appeal is scheduled for late October.
People took to the streets and also rioted in protest later that night. According to the police, the widespread expropriation of goods was coordinated on social media as soon as the judge’s dismissal became known, with one account stating, “that’s the only way they hear us.”
Rioters moved from location to location throughout the city, pushed past security guards, using tools to overcome security systems, and swiftly moving to the next target. There were no reported injuries, but 52 arrests were made during the night, including one person charged with criminal conspiracy for allegedly planning the events because of a social media live-stream.
While the chief of police, government officials, and members of Irizarry’s family quickly condemned the “looting” and drew a line of demarcation between the rioting youth and the peaceful protesters, it is clear that the expropriations were a continuation of the peaceful protest and not opposed to the latter.
Irizarry’s aunt publicly declared that rioting is “not going to bring justice to my family or bring my nephew back.”
A riot is for the living, those continuously crushed under the oppression of the ruling class, those who have to live thinking if they or their loved ones will be next—for them, protests within the confines of the existing order are not enough.
