At Philadelphia City Council meeting, LGBTQ+ activist sounds alarm about police tactics at Pride

Days after members of the Philadelphia LGBTQ+ community raised concerns about police tactics during Pride in the city's Gayborhood, tensions remained high at Thursday's City Council meeting.

A moment that was supposed to be celebratory — declaring June as "Pride Month" in Philadelphia — briefly turned angry when longtime activist and founder of Philadelphia Gay News Mark Segal addressed the audience.

Referring to Sunday's clash with police in the Gayborhood, Segal said, "Police should not be running around with Tasers. People should not be fenced off like animals." 

Many in the crowd inside the chambers cheered.

Segal thanked the mayor for looking into the police response Sunday and demanded accountability and a better experience next year. 

Philadelphia's official Pride Festival was held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, but a large crowd also gathered in the Gayborhood. This year marked the first time the festival was on the Parkway and required a $10 wristband. In years past, it was a free event in the Gayborhood.

Jazmin Henderson, who was celebrating in the Gayborhood when police cleared people out, told CBS News Philadelphia, "We did what we always did, and that was go to the Gayborhood because that's supposed to be our safe space."

Philly Pride 365, which organized Pride on the Parkway, sent a statement that says in part, "We are horrified by the events and police presence that took place Sunday evening in the Gayborhood and support the ongoing efforts to better understand what occurred."

Philadelphia City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas issued a statement saying he was deeply concerned about some of the incidents and altercations that took place Sunday.

"I can understand when people are traumatized when things like that happen. We want people to come to our city and celebrate our city," Thomas said. 

After the meeting, Councilmember Jim Harrity said, "We don't go for that kind of stuff here. Pride has been a good thing for the city for so many years." 

In a lengthy statement the day after the Pride Festival, Police Commissioner Kevn Bethel said police reported several fights and arrested 15 people, mostly for disorderly conduct and one for aggravated assault of a police officer. The statement said in part, "As conditions became increasingly challenging to manage safely, a decision was made to begin clearing portions of the area."

Bethel said police will conduct an after-action review of Sunday's operation. 

At Thursday's meeting, Councilmember Rue Landau announced her intention to propose a resolution to hold a hearing to investigate what possibly went wrong Sunday.

In a long statement on social media, Mayor Cherelle Parker said her administration is gathering facts and listening to concerns. 

The statement also said in part, "I am unwavering in my commitment that Philadelphia will and must always be a city where people feel safe gathering, celebrating, and expressing themselves, while ensuring that concerns are heard, questions are answered, and accountability remains at the forefront of our actions."