Gov. Tom Wolf spent the day in Philadelphia seeing the damage from the weekend’s George Floyd protests.
Wolf toured some battered areas Monday, seeing first-hand the havoc that spilled out of the protests Saturday and Sunday.
“So many sad scenes, food stores that have been gutted, pharmacies that have been gutted,” Wolf said.
The governor said the demand for justice and equality that drove the protests can’t be ignored.
“Racism is wrong,” Wolf said. “We need to establish a commonwealth that absolutely is fair and decent and equal to every single Pennsylvanian. This is a reminder that we have to do that.”
But Wolf said the violence can’t continue.
“We need to de-escalate the violence. We need in Harrisburg to rededicate ourselves to the task of making this a better society,” Wolf said.
Protests in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh over the weekend led to dozens of businesses being damaged and looted. Police officers in both cities suffered injuries.
The governor was asked if he should have deployed the National Guard sooner, which arrived in Philadelphia overnight. He said his administration responded to the requests of the mayors of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
“We deployed them as quickly as we were asked to deploy them,” Wolf said.
The governor said the state would offer financial assistance to Philadelphia businesses, but he said he’s not sure about the scope of the aid.
“We need to contribute and invest in the rebuilding of Philadelphia,” Wolf said.
In Harrisburg, two Capitol police officers were injured in a protest Saturday that began peacefully but grew violent later in the day, Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. Another smaller rally was held Sunday on the Capitol steps with no issues.
A rally took place in Harrisburg Monday night.
Protests have been held across the state and around the country over the death of Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old black man who died in the custody of a Minneapolis police officer.
Floyd was on the ground and handcuffed, with officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck. Authorities say Floyd was detained Monday because he matched the description of someone who tried to pay with a counterfeit bill at a convenience store, and he resisted arrest. Chauvin was arrested and charged with murder Friday.
Some protests in the Keystone State, including events drawing hundreds in Allentown and Bethlehem over the weekend, were peaceful.
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