Only One Major Arrest During Philly “No Kings” Protest
By all accounts, the "No Kings" protest in Philadelphia was generally peaceful. Minus this one guy from Lancaster, allegedly.
Left: Richard Pignato, who was arrested during the Philadelphia “No Kings” protest Saturday. (Photo via Philadelphia Police Department.) Right: A view of the “No Kings” protest in Philadelphia from a helicopter. (Image courtesy 6ABC).
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Only One Major Arrest During Philly “No Kings” Protest
A week ago, as protesters clashed with law enforcement in Los Angeles, one Philadelphia activist, a self-described “Socialist with a license to carry,” said that “Philly could look like L.A. in two weeks.” Then came some aggressive scenes between protesters and police in Philadelphia on Tuesday. So it wasn’t unreasonable to be worried about how things might have gone down on Saturday for the “No Kings” protest in Philadelphia.
Well, Philly, congrats. You pulled it off. Philly Mag contributor Patrick Rapa filed this report from the streets, and by all accounts, the “No Kings” protest in Philadelphia was generally peaceful and without any of the chaos and conflicts that many of us feared.
In fact, police only made one major arrest. You can credit that to 31-year-old protester Richard Pignato from Lancaster, who allegedly attacked a police officer. He’s been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. The judge set bail at $100,000, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 1st.
Police also handed out a handful of citations.
Why Have One Wedding When You Can Have Two?
That’s apparently the thinking of Eagles superstar Jalen Hurts. He married longtime girlfriend Bryonna “Bry” Burrows earlier this year. And then he did so again last week, renting out the entire Four Seasons in Napa Valley. Somehow I didn’t get an invite!
A Not So Happy Father’s Day
Some Philly-area immigrants received messages on Friday night demanding that they report to ICE headquarters on Sunday. I’m guessing it wasn’t for a prime rib dinner. The Inquirer with more on this.
By the Numbers
$4,500: What a Philly landlord can currently charge you before you move into their $1,500/month apartment. The whole “first, last and security” thing. But if Mayor Parker signs a new bill into law, that amount would drop to $3,000, with the third chunk of $1,500 payable in installments after you move in.
$35: Starting price for a video camera disguised as a pen, like the hidden pen cameras found in bathrooms along the Ocean City boardwalk. Ew. Just ew.
$83,203: Funds raised thus far for a trans woman who was the victim of an acid attack in West Philly on June 1st.
0: Arrests in said acid attack… perhaps because the police blurred the faces of the suspects? (They are very young, which is why police blurred their faces. But…)
3: Number of IKEAs in the Philly area once a new Cherry Hill location opens later this year. So now Garden State residents can also be confused by those terrible IKEA instructions. But, hey, at least you can get Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce.
Local Talent
You’ve probably heard that Will Smith is attempting to make a comeback in the music industry after 20 years focused on movies. He released his fifth studio album, Based on a True Story, in March. It didn’t exactly get rave reviews. Then, a few days ago, he released a new single, “Pretty Girls.” And, well, it’s lousy, as is the music video that accompanies it. And it’s not just me that says so.
Here’s a quick rundown of what critics and regular folks are saying: “This is bad bad.” “Is this a humiliation ritual?” “Beyond terrible.” “The worst song of the decade.” “Need the ghost of Quincy Jones to slap him.” “An exploitative attempt at progress.” I could go on… You can see the video here and decide for yourself.
