Ok, so we know this ‘Unicorn Riot’ account thinks this thread makes them look hardcore for confronting a bunch of ‘racist vigilantes’ who were protecting a Christopher Columbus statue in South Philly but really all they did was make themselves look … well, silly.
To be fair, some of the people guarding the statue did get in this reporter’s space BUT c’mon, it’s Philly.
Note: Unicorn Riot (who incidentally has this editor blocked) claims they are ‘independent.’ Keep that in mind as you read this nonsense:
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
They are protecting history.
Probably shouldn’t have grabbed the camera but seriously, what did this person (see, we didn’t assume gender) think would happen if he or she or zhe or it or whatever got in their space? Americans are tired of watching chaos and destruction in their cities, even in Philly.
Several guns, bats and sticks carried by white vigilantes here at Columbus square in South Philly to “protect” the Columbus statue. Police have been visibly quite friendly with this group pic.twitter.com/tu3IRZLHs7
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
White vigilantes.
Or maybe the police have been cordial because those assembling aren’t tearing statues to the ground and setting fires?
This man in first photo is who initiated the group assault on our reporter – he noticed he was being filmed and instantly bee-lined for us to demand we stop filming him. As he left, police passively watched him strike our reporter’s bike with a metal bat. pic.twitter.com/lVtBQpKYTA
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
Ok ok … we know.
But this just made us laugh so much.
About 100 almost exclusively white vigilantes our by Columbus Statue at Marconi Plaza in Sourh Philly. When police arrived after we were assaulted, one cop accused us of instigating the crowd. pic.twitter.com/8hhFtQAwko
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
They really really really want everyone to know these vigilantes were almost exclusively white.
Vigilantes.
Heh.
Correction: Ongoing vigilante incident in South Philly is located at Marconi Plaza pic.twitter.com/iYe7Mw8AGZ
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
Ongoing vigilante incident. DA DA DAAAAAAH.
This man by the Columbus statue at Marconi Plaza is armed with some kind of rifle pic.twitter.com/S4NlqC1uTU
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
OMG, NOT A GUN!!!
Current scene approx 8:25 PM by Columbus Statue in Marconi Plaza in South Philadelphia pic.twitter.com/wwobQ85oTd
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
So?
The crowd of aggravated South Philly Italian Columbus statue defenders applaud and cheers for the police as some officers leave the area pic.twitter.com/VDlh9c9N7N
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
‘Aggravated South Philly Italian Columbus Statue Defenders’ sounds like a ska band from the 90s’.
More agitated white men with bats and sticks are continuing to arrive at Marconi Plaza outside the Columbus statue. Philly Police faced some backlash recently after they appeared to tolerate and endorse similar activity in Fishtown on the north end of the city recently. pic.twitter.com/MSVmk7yL6Z
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
MORE AGITATED WHITE MEN WITH BATS AND STICKS!
Sorry, this is just too funny.
Most of the all-white crowd at Marconi Plaza now seems mostly interested in confronting our lone reporter on the scene. Many invitations have been given to engage in hand-to-hand combat. As journalists we are obliged to decline! pic.twitter.com/bgl0jEK7Ze
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
All-white crowd.
We are no longer able to document the ongoing, escalating Marconi Plaza South Philadelphia vigilante incident after @PhillyPolice ordered us to leave or be arrested. We were told we no longer had the right to document this event. pic.twitter.com/U6kRm7owXl
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
Maybe because they were instigating and causing issues? Just spitballin’.
Before incidents shown in this thread, we spoke w some ‘statue defenders’ about why they were there. Many said the statue represented Italian heritage. Some justified Columbus’ rape and slavery etc by saying “the natives were savages”. Others denied these atrocities took place.
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
And they wonder why people were getting pissed at them.
Many people present at the statue who confronted our reporter accused him of being from out of town/not from South Philly and of being racist against Italian people.
Ironically, our Philly reporter Chris Schiano lives in South Philadelphia and comes from an Italian family.
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
The irony.
Shortly before @PhillyPolice ordered us to cease our on-site reporting under threat of arrest, the crowd was cheering as a man with a Trump 2020 flag arrived.
Police were also shaking hands with some of the white vigilantes as this was happening. pic.twitter.com/zRIz8au8aq
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
HOW DARE PEOPLE THINK DIFFERENTLY FROM THEM?!
Going back over our footage and stills of this incident – we observed at least 2-3 open carried long rifles, and overheard that many present were concealed carrying.
Some showed up with improvised weapons, like this man who was standing alone with a golf club. pic.twitter.com/yqSE4AAxXK
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
Monsters.
Two more photos we forgot to post in the heat of the moment earlier – these were taken at 7:54 PM and show Philly cops were present at the statue enthusiast gathering *before* a group of men with bats was allowed to assault our reporter pic.twitter.com/l84CdhRTnd
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 14, 2020
Cops bad, m’kay.
"How dare you not let us destroy public property?! You must be a racist vigilante!" https://t.co/lcnK40284X
— Reuenthal_800 (@MAurelius161180) June 14, 2020
ARGLE BARGLE RAR!
More like neighbors protecting their neighborhood.
— Speedy (@Speednahead) June 14, 2020
No no, WHITE, RACIST VIGILANTES FROM HELL!
Heh.
Have we mentioned everything is dumber than dumb?
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