White supremacist marchers 'ran away' from Philly residents, police say
Members of a white supremacist group marching through Philadelphia on Saturday evening "ran away" from city residents who confronted them, according to police.
Demonstrators, who police said were from out of town and were reportedly members of the Texas-based Patriots Front, chanted while holding American flags and shields as they made their way from Ben Franklin Parkway to Penn's Landing, according to WPVI, an ABC affiliate.
Photos from the scene showed the group carrying a banner that said "Reclaim America."
Onlookers confronted the group at Penn's Landing, pushing, shoving, and yelling at them. One NBC10 photographer had his cellphone swiped by the group but was able to recover it.
At Penn's Landing, the counterdemonstrators banged on the group's trucks as the demonstrators got inside the vehicles and drove away.
"They started engaging with citizens of Philadelphia, who were none too happy about what they were saying. These males felt threatened, and at one point, somebody threw a smoke bomb to cover their retreat, and they literally ran away from the people of Philadelphia," Philadelphia Police Officer Michael Crum told reporters.
Police later pulled over and questioned the protesters, according to the WPVI report, and said no property was damaged during the scuffle.
The wild night in Philly preceded a scheduled visit by first lady Jill Biden, who is scheduled to participate in a "Celebration of Freedom Ceremony" in the city on Sunday.
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Tags: News, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Law Enforcement, Protests
Original Author: Daniel Chaitin
Original Location: White supremacist marchers 'ran away' from Philly residents, police say
