Counter-protesters clash with police at Philadelphia Blue Lives Matter March

Police arrested 16 individuals at the Philadelphia Blue Lives Matter March in Center City on Saturday, August 25. The 16 individuals were counter-protesters from the group identified as Antifa.

Short for antifascist, the group, who has thousands of members across the US, were there to demonstrate their belief that the Blue Lives Matter March supports “Nazis, police brutality, and the alt-right.”

The Philadelphia Blue Lives Matter March began in the morning hours, with roughly 20 supporters marching from Independence Hall, working their way through Center City in support of police.

Counter-protesters clash with Philadelphia Police

According to NBC Philadelphia, 75 members from Antifa were seen protesting on Broad Street and Arch Street around 11:30 a.m.

The counter-protesters reportedly did not interact with the Blue Lives Matter marchers who were detoured in order to avoid the group on their route. But Antifa did clash with local police. As more than a dozen individuals were arrested, protestors on the sidelines chanted and yelled at police.

“This march represents the creep of ultra right wing politics into our communities,” an organizer of the counter-protest march wrote per NBC.

“We refuse to let that happen. We refused to allow the belittling and oppression of our friends, neighbors and community, and refuse to give the alt right a platform. They are hiding their despicable politics behind fake respectability and need for someone to call them out.”

Of the 16 people arrested, nine individuals were cited for failure to disperse. Seven of the individuals were charged with disorderly conduct.

The two groups were said not have come to blows, but stayed away from one another during their march.