Inquirer Reporter Captures Philadelphia Police Officer’s Knee on Protester’s Neck
Plus, how many cops does it take to get one protester on the ground? A lot.
Screenshots from a video published on X by Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Samantha Melamed showing a Philadelphia police officer’s knee on a protester’s neck during an ICE protest in Philadelphia on Tuesday (Samantha Melamed/X)
Check phillymag.com each morning Monday through Thursday for the latest edition of Philly Today. And if you have a news tip for our hardworking Philly Mag reporters, please direct it here. You can also use that form to send us reader mail. We love reader mail!
Inquirer Reporter Samantha Melamed Captures Video of a Cop’s Knee on a Protester’s Neck During Philadelphia Protest
On Monday, I reported that one prominent Philadelphia activist, a self-described “socialist with a license to carry,” told me that “Philadelphia could look like L.A. in two weeks.” And we got one step closer to that on Tuesday during a protest in Philadelphia.
In a video that some have said evokes memories of the George Floyd murder, Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Samantha Melamed captured footage of a police officer with his knee on a protester’s neck while the protester was face down on the ground. It all happened on Tuesday in Center City during a protest against ICE activities.
Melamed’s video is embedded below. (If you are unable to see it, you can view it here on X.)
A Philly Police officer kneeled on a person’s head during an arrest at what had minutes earlier been a peaceful protest this evening in Center City over ICE enforcement pic.twitter.com/uBvVIsywq4
— Samantha Melamed (@samanthamelamed) June 11, 2025
As the police officer’s knee is on the protester’s neck, another police officer seems to say something to his fellow officer and point in the direction of his knee, and he quickly moves his knee to the protester’s back. Then police form a wall between the protester and Melamed.
And how many police officers does it take to get one protester to the ground? The answer is, by my count, at least six — plus one apparent law enforcement official striking said protester multiple times with a baton — according to another video Melamed posted on X.
The Philadelphia Police Department has yet to respond to requests for comment about these specific incidents but said in a statement on Tuesday that all uses of force during the protest will be investigated internally.
According to police, officers arrested one male for aggravated assault on police, eight adult males for disorderly conduct, and seven adult females for the same.
Speaking of a Philadelphia Protest…
You can expect a big protest in Philadelphia this Saturday. That’s Donald Trump’s birthday. It’s also the day he’s throwing himself a huge military parade. So opponents around the country have deemed Saturday “No Kings Day.” These protests are expected nationwide.
The Philadelphia protest is supposed to kick off in Philly at 10 a.m. in Center City, starting at Love Park, then marching up the Parkway for a rally outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. There are numerous road closures and SEPTA bus changes as a result. For more information on these closures and changes, go here.
Speaking of SEPTA…
The Chestnut Hill East Regional Rail line goes out of service beginning on June 15th due to construction. It’s not scheduled to resume until September, assuming SEPTA even exists in September.
By the Numbers
67.5 percent: Portion of votes received by Trump-endorsed Jack Ciattarelli when the Associated Press called the New Jersey Republican primary for governor for him on Tuesday night. A decisive victory, to be sure. On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill won. She’ll take on Ciattarelli in the general election in November, when we’ll find out if the Garden State goes red.
90 degrees: Forecasted high for Philadelphia on Thursday. Not a fan? Get to the shore. It will be ten degrees cooler.
10: Number of Philly tech startups that will be selected to compete in the World Cup Pitch Competition at Temple University on August 27th. First place winner gets $20,000 and automatically advances to the Startup World Cup in San Francisco. Grand prize there? A $1 million investment. The application deadline is July 7th. You can apply here. (I get ten percent for letting you know about it.)
Local Talent
If you are a bona fide Philadelphian, then you love sandwiches, whether a hoagie, cheesesteak, roast pork… whatever. And now Philly food writer Mike Madaio has released a book about our love of sandwiches, A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches. He’s at the Central Library on Thursday night to tell you all about it. Free to attend. Great, now I want a sandwich but my wife is urging me to eat Kashi.
