In response to the police violence and terror in West Philly and on 676 this summer, PHL City Council is considering a bill that would ban use of tear gas against "any individual engaging in 1st Amendment Activities" but 1/

in the committee hearing about the bill today, @PPDCommish said “The moment something becomes violent it is no longer a 1st Amendment protected activity" and referenced damage to cop cars as examples of violence that took place during protests this summer, 2/

if the @PhillyPolice can rule property damage as "violent," what use is this bill? Seems to me like this bill wouldn't even have protected the people brutalized by police this summer, bc PPD would/will claim protestors are being "violent" to justify any use of force they want.

This bill just isn't it. @PHLCouncil needs to defund and demilitarize the police. @HelenGymAtLarge @CouncilmemberJG @KendraPHL @CMThomasPHL @CouncilmanDerek @CouncilmemberKJ @Mr4thDistrict

also thank you to @gwensnyderPHL for twitter coverage of the hearings that lead to this bill, which put it on my radar in the first place