A group of protesters overtook Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney's annual Pride flag raising ceremony on Sunday, demonstrating against alleged racism in the city's LGBTQ community.
The protesters interrupted the city's seventh annual flag raising ceremony in the Mayor's Reception Room. The ceremony is normally held outside City Hall but was moved indoors on Sunday due to rain. The flag raising coincides with the city's annual OutFest.
The controversy began last month when an LGBT business owner in the section of Center City commonly called the Gayborhood came under fire for allegedly using racial and homophobic slurs.
Kenney issued a statement after the interrupted flag raising:
“As I have said previously, there is no denying that racism and discrimination is an issue within the LGBT community. The Gayborhood should be a sanctuary for all in the LGBT community, but sadly not everyone is welcome at some of its institutions, and until real steps are taken to address racist dress code policies or other instances of institutionalized discrimination, I will not go to those institutions.
Discrimination in the Gayborhood and across the city is not something that one person or one office can be expected to solve on its own – it’s on all of us – and I hope the hearing that the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations is holding on racism in the Gayborhood will start to move that ball forward. I intend to be there to do my part in ensuring that it does, and I encourage all others that are invested in change to attend as well.”
The city's Office of LGBT Affairs also issued a statement Sept. 29 after receiving what it called "reports of discriminatory practices by businesses in the Gayborhood, and the use of racist and homophobic slurs against members of the LGBT community." The city plans to hold a public hearing Oct. 25 about racism and discrimination in the community and has subpoenaed a number of business owners to speak at that hearing.
The protesters at Sunday's flag raising argued that the Kenney administration and the Office of LGBT Affairs, helmed by former assistant district attorney Nellie Fitzpatrick, are in denial about racism in the city's LGBTQ community and called for more to be done to combat it, according to an NBC10 photographer who attended the event. City officials and Mayor Kenney left the room to the protesters when they overtook the event.
The Eagles looked like they were about to seal their fourth straight win of the season after a big-time comeback.
Nope.
Instead, they had their first turnover of the season at the worst possible time.
Ryan Mathews coughed up the football with less than three minutes left in the game, which set up the Lions for a game-winning field goal drive and a 24-23 win over the Eagles at Ford Field.
After the fumble, the Lions converted a first down on a 27-yard pass play to Golden Tate from Matt Stafford that allowed the Lions to get closer for the 29-yard Matt Prater field goal.
The Eagles got the ball back, but Wentz reared back and tossed a long ball that was intercepted. It was his first interception of the season.
The loss was the first of the season for the Eagles, as they dropped to 3-1. The Lions (2-3) were a desperate team and picked up a win they needed badly.
The Eagles came back from a 14-point deficit and an 11-point halftime deficit to take a lead in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold on.
With the loss, the Eagles squandered a chance to start the season 4-0, something they haven’t done since 2004, when they went to the Super Bowl. Wentz missed a shot to become the first rookie quarterback in the modern era to start and win his team’s first four games.
But this game wasn’t on Wentz. The Eagles’ defense just simply didn’t do its job in the first half. The defense responded in the second, but finally gave up a late field goal after Detroit got great field position to give the Lions a win.
Turning point
The Mathews fumble. It was the Eagles’ first turnover of the season.
Key stat
The Eagles were penalized 13 times for 106 yards.
First half
After allowing just 20 points in the first three games of the season, the Eagles’ defense allowed 21 in the first half at Ford Field.
The Lions took a 21-10 lead into halftime after the Eagles’ defense was absolutely shredded. The Lions had three drives that resulted in three touchdowns. The Eagles simply couldn’t stop them.
The Lions went on 11-, 9- and 12-play drives that all ended with a Stafford touchdown pass. Before Sunday’s game, the Eagles hadn’t allowed a touchdown pass on the season. Then they allowed three in the first half Sunday.
After going down 14-0, Wentz and the Eagles responded, putting together a nine-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown pass to Mathews.
But the defense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain, allowing the Lions to march right back down the field and go up 21-7. Wentz and the Eagles were able to get a field goal out of their last drive to cut the lead to 11 points.
The Eagles were penalized eight times for 76 yards in the first half. The Lions had one penalty for five yards.
Offensive stud
Wentz was his usual impressive self. He had a late interception, though, his first of the season.
Offensive dud
He had a nice afternoon before it, but the fumble by Mathews came at a brutal spot.
Defensive stud
When he was on the field, Nigel Bradham had a very good game.
Defensive dud
Mychal Kendricks struggled in pass coverage again. He got some extended snaps Sunday and didn’t look very good. Then again, he wasn’t alone early.
Injuries
The Eagles came into Sunday very healthy. Bennie Logan was the only player listed as questionable and he played.
Leodis McKelvin left with a hamstring injury, but was cleared to return.
Up next
The Eagles are on the road again next week, as they head to Washington to face their first NFC East opponent. The following week, they’ll return to the Linc to host Sam Bradford and the Minnesota Vikings.
Philadelphia Police are investigating a possible abduction in North Philadelphia.
A witness told police he was walking on 600 E. Erie Avenue at 8:50 p.m. Sunday behind an unidentified woman. The witness then said he saw a man get out of a black vehicle and strike the woman in the head with a baseball bat. The witness told police the man then dragged the woman into his car and drove eastbound on Erie.
The witness described the woman as a white female with short blond hair, wearing scrubs. He also described the man as a white male with black hair and a beard wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants.
Police say the suspect’s vehicle, possibly a black Chevy Cruze, was last seen on Roosevelt Boulevard at G Street.
The Special Victims Division is currently handling the investigation.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
A woman died after being struck by a vehicle on a major roadway in Burlington Count, New Jersey early Monday morning.
Police said the woman, whose identity was not released, was crossing Route 70 near Route 73 in Evesham about 6:45 a.m. when she was struck. The striking vehicle remained at the scene, and police said the driver is cooperating with investigators.
Police shut down a stretch of Route 70's westbound lanes as they investigated the crash. Video from SkyForce10 showed police at the scene and an SUV sitting in the lanes of the highway with front-end damage.
A car struck a pedestrian on Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia early Monday morning.
Accident investigation officers confirmed they were called to respond to the scene, on Roosevelt Boulevard near Grant Avenue. They said only that a car struck a pedestrian. The person's condition and the circumstances surrounding the crash were not immediately clear.
SkyForce10 video from the scene showed one lane of traffic squeezing by in the left outer northbound lane of the Boulevard as police blocked the center and right outer lanes.
NBC10 is working to obtain more details about the crash.
Firefighters responded to an apartment fire in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia.
The fire started at a four story apartment building on the 1600 block of Chelten Avenue early Monday evening. Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control.
No one was injured during the blaze. The Red Cross is currently assisting six adults and two children. Officials have not yet revealed the cause of the fire.
