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   Matt Blaze (mattblaze@federate.social)'s status on Wednesday, 14-May-2025 03:42:14 JST Matt Blaze

   40 years ago today, the Philadelphia Police Department used a helicopter to firebomb the headquarters of MOVE, a radical collective that was being evicted for what amounted to building code violations. Eleven people died (including five children). The fire eventually spread and completely burned down two city blocks.

   Then the remains of those killed, were, for unclear reasons, turned over to the U. Penn Museum, where they sat for decades. https://share.inquirer.com/m7vjmf

   • Silver Huskey repeated this.
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     Matt Blaze (mattblaze@federate.social)'s status on Wednesday, 14-May-2025 03:43:15 JST Matt Blaze

     in reply to

     I think the MOVE bombing isn't as well remembered as it should be partly because it's so over-the-top crazy that people brush it off as something where "there must be more to it than that". But no. The police department literally used a helicopter to drop an incendiary bomb on a row house in order to evict the occupants, burning down two city blocks in the process. That's what happened.

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     Matt Blaze (mattblaze@federate.social)'s status on Wednesday, 14-May-2025 03:43:16 JST Matt Blaze

     in reply to

     MOVE was, without doubt, guilty of being annoying. They had occasional confrontations with police. There were unsanitary conditions. Their neighbors complained about them. But the response was a case study in wildly disproportionate overreaction that should never be forgotten as a cautionary tale of where militarization of local police leads.

     Steve's Place and Silver Huskey repeated this.