US: Protesters gather in Philadelphia for second consecutive night October 27 /update 1

Event

Protests have occurred in Philadelphia for the second consecutive night on Tuesday, October 27, following an officer-involved fatal shooting of a black man in West Philadelphia on Monday, October 26. Some 500 protesters gathered in Malcolm X Park from 19:00 (local time) before splitting into two groups. One group marched to the 18th police district station located on 55th and Pine Streets. Earlier, the Governor of Pennsylvania announced that the National Guard had been deployed to Philadelphia in response to the unrest. A total of 91 people have been detained on charges of assaulting officers and coming burglaries since protests broke out on Monday.

Further protests and unrest are likely in the area in the near term.

Context

Protests broke out on October 26 after a video shared on social media depicted two police officers shooting Walter Wallace, a 27-year-old black man during a confrontation. Demonstrations have seen clashes between protesters and police and the damaging of shops. The protests are also linked to wider unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd whilst he was being arrested by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. The four arresting police officers were subsequently fired and detained, and one has since been charged with second-degree murder. Demonstrations have occurred in several cities across the US, with solidarity protests taking place throughout the world.

Advice

Individuals in Philadelphia are advised to monitor developments, avoid all protests as a precaution, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.