Police Charge Woman With “Organizing a Protest” at Rogue Atilis Gym

Ayla Wolf, who was charged by Bellmawr police with “organizing a protest” at the reopened Atilis Gym. (Screenshot via NBC 10 report — video below.)

A roundup of Philly coronavirus news.

Police Charge Woman for “Organizing a Protest” at Reopened Atilis Gym in Bellmawr

As we told you yesterday, the owners of Atilis Gym reopened on Monday with plenty of police and anti-shutdown protestor presence. Members came and went from their workouts. Nothing big to report.

But Tuesday proved to be a much “different reality,” as New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy promised at a press conference.

On Tuesday, anti-shutdown protestors and members returned to Atilis Gym. And so did members of the Bellmawr Police Department.

According to a statement from Bellmawr police chief William Walsh, police cited Atilis Gym owners Frank Trumbetti and Ian Smith with one disorderly person’s offense each for reopening their gym in violation of the shutdown order. Police issued gym members summonses for using the gym.

Police also charged one person with obstructing the administration of law, reportedly because he refused to identify himself to officers. And police charged anti-shutdown protestor Ayla Wolf with “organizing a protest.”

While anti-shutdown protests in Philadelphia and elsewhere in the commonwealth have gone on without any such charges, as far as we know, this has not been the case in New Jersey. Prosecutors there have filed multiple charges over the last couple of months for “organizing a protest,” which the state says violates one of Murphy’s executive orders because a protest constitutes a gathering.

“I don’t begrudge anyone’s right to protest,” Murphy said in April. “This is America. We all have First Amendment rights… I really wish they would do it at home.”

“This is against the Constitution,” Wolf told NBC 10. “Governor Murphy is not king and he cannot make laws against the First Amendment. Our First Amendment rights are being violated.”

A “court relief” GoFundMe for Atilis Gym’s owners and members is now up to more than $40,000 in just two days. The GoFundMe campaign has been reported for violating GoFundMe’s terms. One person who reported says he did so because the campaign supports “illegal activity.” GoFundMe has yet to publicly issue a ruling.

Below, a report from NBC 10 from the gym:

First the Beach, Now the Safari at Six Flags Great Adventure

One thing you’ll always hear from the anti-shutdown people is some variation of this: If Walmart is open, why can’t this gym or barbershop (or whatever) be open?

Well, here’s a new one for them: Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey is reopening its safari!

That’s right. The Jersey Shore beaches are open for Memorial Day. And as of May 30th, you’ll be able to experience the 1,200 animals and 350 acres that make up Great Adventure’s drive-thru safari.

Here’s the announcement from the park:

Rachel Levine: PA’s Coronavirus Numbers Now Show “a Positive Trend”

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania health secretary Rachel Levine released new data about the coronavirus in Pennsylvania. In short, the number of new cases reported has been decreasing.

Tuesday was the ninth day in a row with less than 1,000 new coronavirus cases reported in Pennsylvania. There’s also been a huge increase in testing.

“We consider this a very positive trend,” Levine said at a press conference. “I think that we have been successful in terms of continuing to bend, straighten that curve.”