Philadelphia Shows Solidarity With Paris
Cloe Tinchant lights candles in LOVE Park, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, during a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the attacks in Paris. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
Good morning, Philadelphia, and happy National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Here’s what you need to know today.
Philadelphia is expressing its solidarity with Paris, while beefing up security at home.
This weekend’s horrific terrorist attacks in Paris inspired Philadelphians to many shows of solidarity: A vigil Saturday was organized by the French Consulate, a second was held Sunday at the French International School. Philadelphia-area Muslim groups also spoke out against the attack: “We totally and unconditionally condemn all actions of violence of this nature,” Mikal Shabazz, imam at the Masjidullah in West Oak Lane, told CBS3. Memorials went up around the city — the Cira Centre, Boathouse Row, and Lit Brothers Building were all bathed in the colors of the French flag over the weekend.
More police and security were on hand at the Linc, meanwhile, for the Eagles game — and fans attending Flyers and 76ers games should expect to see similar measures. “One of the targets of Friday’s terror attacks in Paris was a soccer stadium,” CBS 3 reported. “Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said in light of that, the city won’t be taking any chances.”
Two dead infants were found in a North Philadelphia vacant lot — and autopsies had already been performed on them.
Of course, Philadelphia is capable of generating horrors of its own: The babies were discovered by a neighborhood boy on Saturday night; he told adults who returned to the lot on Sunday morning, then called police. “Investigators were searching for a black pickup truck they say was spotted dumping trash in the area where the babies were found, and detectives were canvassing the neighborhood searching for any surveillance video that may reveal how the babies wound up in the lot,” NBC 10 reported. “While processing the scene, the Medical Examiner discovered the bodies had an autopsy performed on them by unidentified medical personnel at an unknown time.” Among other questions, investigators are still trying to determine how and when the babies died.
A pair of zebras got loose in Philadelphia over the weekend, creating a social media riot and drawing national attention.
“Zebras escaped from the UniverSoul Circus Sunday and ran loose through West Philadelphia and on City Avenue,” Philly Mag’s Dan McQuade reports. “Cops were called just before 2 p.m. to Parkside Avenue, near the Mann Center, and videos posted later on social media showed the zebras in front of the Planet Fitness on 52nd Street and running down City Ave.” Police eventually cornered the zebras, who were caught. Check out our page with photos and videos of the chase
Victims of the deadly May Amtrak crash in Philadelphia could get an assist from Congress.
Right after the crash, remember, it was revealed that federal law caps lawsuit damages against Amtrak at $200 million per incident. Now that could change. “Trial lawyers want to increase the $200 million cap on damage payments in passenger rail accidents, citing the Amtrak crash in Philadelphia in May that killed eight people and injured about 200,” AP reports. “According to the American Association for Justice, damage awards to victims are expected to exceed the cap, which was set in 1997. The Senate version of the bill would raise the cap to $295 million, but there’s no increase in the House bill.”
Pro-immigrant groups today will criticize what they say is Mayor Nutter’s attempt to back away from Philadelphia’s “sanctuary cities” status.
That status prohibits law enforcement from cooperating with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents; the Nutter Administration said last week it wants to permit such cooperation if a suspect is accused of murder, rape, robbery, domestic violence, illegal possession of a firearm, or involvement in terrorism. Juntos and other immigrants rights groups will launch a counter-campaign today at City Hall. “If we want communities to build relationships with police, to invest in this city, we can’t make it the city’s job to do ICE’s,” one advocate told Al Dia. “Whatever imagined gains rolling back the Executive Order would provide are lost when you lose the trust and engagement of your residents.”
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