Woke

Out of context: Reply #66

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  • imbecile4

    The MOVE bombing occurred on May 13, 1985, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

    MOVE was a black liberation group founded in 1972 by John Africa. The group lived communally and espoused a variety of beliefs including black revolutionary ideals, animal rights, and a return to nature. Their lifestyle and confrontational tactics often put them at odds with their neighbors and the city's authorities.

    In 1985, after years of escalating tension and a previous violent confrontation in 1978, the Philadelphia Police Department attempted to forcibly evict MOVE members from their row house at 6221 Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia. The operation was based on numerous complaints from neighbors regarding health hazards associated with the property.

    The standoff between police and MOVE members escalated to the point where the police dropped a bomb, made of C-4 plastic explosive and Tovex (a dynamite substitute), from a helicopter onto the MOVE house. The resulting explosion and subsequent fire killed 11 people, including five children, and destroyed approximately 65 nearby homes. Despite the magnitude of the event, the fire department was initially told to let the fire burn.

    The bombing was widely criticized for its excessive force and the city's handling of the incident. The only surviving members of the MOVE household, Ramona Africa and Birdie Africa, were both charged and incarcerated in connection with the confrontation, though Birdie was later released.

    In 2020, Philadelphia's city council formally apologized for the bombing, marking the first time the city had officially acknowledged wrongdoing in connection with the event.

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