Police arrested 7 black bloc protesters after they vandalized at least two federal buildings on New Year’s Eve in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Associated Press reported.
Authorities said Friday they recovered Molotov cocktails and other devices that could be used for vandalism and destruction from the arrests, according to the Associated Press.
The seven arrested were part of a larger group of around 50 black bloc vandals, the Associated Press reported. The group was spotted by law enforcement near the historic U.S.Customs House at around 8:30 pm local time on New Year’s Eve, the Associated Press report noted. (RELATED: Murder Rates Rise Alongside Anti-Police Demonstrations)
In 2020, violent crime spiked in:
-Detroit
-Chicago
-New York
-Philadelphia
-MilwaukeeCities all run by Democrats.
This is what happens when you don’t support law enforcement or uphold the rule of law.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) December 29, 2020
Just before 9 p.m., a 25-year-old vandal was seen throwing a brick through the windows of a federal building and courthouse, according to the Associated Press. The 25-year-old male fled the scene with a 24-year-old man and two 23-year-old women. All were subsequently arrested, the Associated Press reported.
Another 25-year-old man, and two more women (ages 22 and 26), were the other three arrested by Philadelphia police, according to the Associated Press.
The vandals caused about $3,000 worth of damage to the Philadelphia federal building, which included anti-police graffiti, the Associated Press reports. A sheriff’s van was also vandalized and had its windows busted in, according to the Associated Press.
Police seized “numerous Molotov cocktails and some other devices which haven’t been identified” upon the individuals’ arrests, Chief Inspector Mike Cram told reporters, according to the Associated Press.
One of the men arrested had a glass jar with a fuse that had a “strong flammable odor.” Another plastic container was labeled “Fire Starter,” according to the Associated Press.
A woman arrested possessed bottles full of a liquid with “a chemical smell,” police told reporters, as reported by the Associated Press.