This city was already in the midst of a care crisis before the pandemic hit. Hospitals closing, shelters and schools underfunded and overcrowded, many Philadelphians unable to access basic healthcare, healthful food and medicine, and suicide, addiction and mental illness massive social problems. All of these disproportionately affect Black and immigrant communities in Philadelphia, and instead of responding with care, compassion and resources, the city criminalizes homelessness, mental illness, drug use, poverty, survival!

With coronavirus all these systems have revealed themselves to be utterly insufficient to our needs. Covid spreads rampant in prisons and jails, but police keep throwing more of our siblings in cages for just trying to survive.

Enough is enough! We’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, and we, nurses, doctors, teachers, mental health professionals, unhoused folks, and many more, are marching for immediate abolition of the police and prisons, and the redirection of their resources, infrastructure and funding to us, so that we can take care of each other. And if the city won’t give it to us, we’ll take it for ourselves!!