40 Years Since Philadelphia Police Bombing of MOVE Headquarters

The MOVE Bombing: A Day of Remembrance

• 📅 Philadelphia is officially observing a day of remembrance 40 years after police bombed the headquarters of the Black liberation group MOVE.
• 💥 The bombing, intended to force an eviction, followed a 90-minute firefight and resulted in a fire that killed six adults and five children inside.
• 🏠 The fire spread to other buildings, leaving approximately 250 people homeless.
• ⚖️ No city or police officials were criminally charged, though civil juries awarded $14 million in damages to survivors and residents.

MOVE's Mission and Community Impact

• ✊ Ramona Africa, an adult survivor, stated MOVE's focus was on fighting for their family and advocating for the unjust imprisonment of the MOVE nine.
• ❤️ MOVE members actively supported their neighbors by shoveling sidewalks and building wood-burning stoves for those without heat.
• 🤝 Some residents on Osage Avenue supported MOVE, with one block captain encouraging others to "get on the move."

Survivor's Account of the Bombing

• 📢 Ramona Africa recalls Police Commissioner Gregory Sambour announcing on Mother's Day night, "You have 15 minutes to come out."
• ⚠️ MOVE did not comply, believing the intent was to kill rather than arrest, citing past attempts by police to harm MOVE members.
• 👶 The police commissioner reportedly viewed the children as a threat equal to the adults.
• 🚚 A supporter attempted to bring food to the house before a police barricade was established on the one-way street.

Justice and Release of MOVE Nine

• 🕊️ The city council voted for a "day of reflection and remembrance," which Ramona Africa views as a recognition of 40 years of injustice.
• ✅ A significant victory for MOVE was the release of the MOVE nine in 2019 after serving 41 years, a release the system did not anticipate.
• ⛓️ Prison officials reportedly told MOVE members they would remain incarcerated for their entire sentence.