Despite growing calls to boycott Saturday’s Women’s March on Philadelphia due to concerns about the police presence, tens of thousands of people are still expected to converge on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the protest that marks the anniversary of President Trump’s inauguration.
City officials have released details about parking restrictions, road closures and entry points where bags are subject to search, the latter of which is a sticking point for some activists who say conducting searches on marchers is “ostensibly stopping and frisking them.”
Deputy Police Commissioner Dennis Wilson said that police vehicles will be stationed in the Parkway area beginning Saturday morning to prevent cars from driving toward the crowd and that metal barricades would be put up around the Parkway to help with crowd control — what he classified as standard measures at most large-scale events.
But Wilson said rumors that police would have “security checkpoints” or that officers would be “stopping and frisking” attendees were not accurate. He said that officers would keep an eye out for anyone carrying prohibited items, such as weapons or drugs, but that there was no plan to conduct mass screening or searching of attendees.
“We’re not frisking people,” he said. “We’re not infringing on anyone’s First Amendment rights in any way.”
Participants will begin assembling around Logan Circle about 8 a.m. Anyone who wants to enter that assembly area can do so at the following locations:
- 18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 20th and Race Streets
- 20th and Vine Streets
The march will start around 11 a.m. at 20th Street and the Parkway and proceed west to Eakins Oval for a rally with speakers and performers from noon to 3 p.m. Anyone who wants to attend only the rally portion can access Eakins Oval and the Parkway at the following locations:
- 22nd Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway (north and south sides)
- Pennsylvania Avenue and Spring Garden Street
- 25th Street and Kelly Drive
- Eakins Oval (south side, near 24th Street)
The city says the following items will not be allowed into the march area:
- Weapons and contraband of any kind (regardless of permitting, e.g. Right-to-carry permits will not be honored and weapons will be confiscated)
- Fireworks or explosives
- Illegal or illicit substances of any kind
- Skateboards, motorized vehicles, or scooters (excluding motorized wheelchairs or similar equipment)
- Laser pointers
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and drones of any kind
Attendees are “strongly discouraged” from carrying bags of any kind, as all bags are subject to search.
Road closures
The following streets will be closed starting from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday:
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 18th Street and 20th Street (including Logan Circle)
- 19th Street between Race Street and Vine Street
- Race Street between 20th Street and Logan Circle
- 20th Street between Arch Street and Callowhill Street
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 20th Street and Eakins Oval
- 21st Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Winter Street
- 22nd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Race Street
- 23rd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- Spring Garden Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 2000 Winter Street
- Kelly Drive (outbound) from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Fairmount Avenue
- Martin Luther King Drive between Eakins Oval and Montgomery Drive
- Spring Garden Street Bridge at 31st Street (Local access will be maintained to Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive)
In addition, eastbound traffic on Kelly Drive must exit Kelly Drive at Fairmount Avenue starting at 5 a.m. Saturday. Streets will be reopened gradually as the march progresses west on the Parkway. It’s expected that portions of Logan Circle and 20th Street will be reopened before 6 p.m.
Parking
The following streets will be designated “no parking” zones from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday:
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16th Street to 20th Street
- 20th Street from Race Street to the Parkway
- 19th Street from Cherry Street to Vine Street
- 18th Street from Arch Street to Vine Street
- 17th Street from Race Street to Arch Street
- 1600 Cherry Street
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 20th Street to Eakins Oval
- 21st Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Race Street
- 22nd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Winter Street
- 2100 to 2200 Spring Garden Street (just the north side of the street)
- 2000 Winter Street
- 1400 to 1500 JFK Blvd. (just the north side of the street)
Please obey all “Temporary No Parking” signs. Vehicles parked in these locations during posted hours will be relocated.
Transit
SEPTA bus routes 7, 32, 33, 38, 43 and 48 will be detoured around the Parkway area from about 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Detours will be posted here.
Comment policy:
Philly.com comments are intended to be civil, friendly conversations. Please treat other participants with respect and in a way that you would want to be treated. You are responsible for what you say. And please, stay on topic. If you see an objectionable post, please report it to us using the "Report Abuse" option.
Please note that comments are monitored by Philly.com staff. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable. Personal attacks, especially on other participants, are not permitted. We reserve the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions.
Additionally comments that are long, have multiple paragraph breaks, include code, or include hyperlinks may not be posted.