Philly protests of Ferguson grand jury verdict already planned: activist

An activist says that more than 20 groups are planning to protest in Philadelphia when the grand jury decision on whether to charge a Ferguson police officer with murder in connection with the death of Michael Brown, 17, is announced.

“We are gonna stage protests up here in Philadelphia,” said Daryle Lamont Jenkins, founder of anti-racism site OnePeoplesProject.com. “Whether [officer] Darren Wilson is indicted or not, the plan is, day after the verdict, we come out in the streets.”

The grand jury is meeting today for what could be its final meeting, CNN reported, and its decision could be announced right afterwards or in the days to come.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told KYW that the Civil Affairs Unit is on call to respond to any protests. He said the department is aware that some demonstrations are planned.

Among the known protests, online listings mention aplanned protest at 5 p.m. on the day of the grand jury’s announcement outside City Hall, one at 4 p.m. on Cecil B. Moore Avenue and Broad Street the day after the announcement, and later that day at 7 p.m. at a church in Northwest Philadelphia.

“It doesn’t mean we’re throwing chairs through windows. It means we’re going to voice our opinions,” Jenkins said of the protests.