Philadelphia Removes Statue of Controversial Former Mayor Amid Racial Justice Protests

A statue of Frank Rizzo, a former mayor of Philadelphia, became a major target for protestors in the City of Brotherly Love. The bronze likeness of the conservative icon, who served as police commissioner before serving two terms as mayor, was plagued by graffiti during this week’s protests for racial justice. On Tuesday evening, demonstrators even attempted to topple the statue.

But on Wednesday morning, the statue was removed from its place in front of a municipal service building near City Hall, where it’s been the subject of controversy since its unveiling in 1998. Current Mayor Jim Kenney called the statue’s removal “the beginning of the healing process in our city.”

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Frank Rizzo came to prominence as a police chief in the radical 1960s. Known for being “tough on crime,” Rizzo rode that mantra to become the city’s mayor in 1972. His legacy is one of racism and excessive force against the black and gay residents of Philadelphia.

As police commissioner, Rizzo rounded up gay Philadelphians who assembled late at night and was known for forcing members of the Black Panthers to strip down in the streets.

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While some embraced Rizzo’s “law-and-order” persona, many look back at his tactics as inhumane and borderline dictatorial, intent on suppressing opposition and excluding black people from middle-class neighborhoods. While running for a third term as mayor, Rizzo urged his followers to “vote white.”

The statue of statue of Frank Rizzo was already set to be removed in 2021, but Mayor Kenney says that now is an ideal time to get rid of what he calls a “deplorable monument to racism, bigotry, and police brutality.” Still, Kenney is keen to point out that his city has a long road ahead in the quest for racial justice. “This is not the end of the process,” he said. “Taking the statue down is not the be all and end all of where we need to go.”