Elon Musk has condemned an illegal takeover of a street in Philadelphia. Authorities claim that the incident was caused by a series of aggressive street racing incidents at the weekend.
Philadelphia police reported that the incidents occurred in multiple locations across the city between 9:30 pm Saturday and 5 am Sunday. They added that there were large crowds at each location, as well as 50-200 vehicles.
Videos of the incidents show cars driving in circles while people light fireworks and start trash fires. Some clips show mobs vandalizing vehicles of the police, including a clip where people swarmed a police car and stomped it.
Musk responded on X to a video showing a police vehicle being surrounded by a mob of people, posted by the Republican House Judiciary.
The House Judiciary GOP said, “You are not safe in Democrat-run Philadelphia.”
Pretty sure I saw this scene in The Joker https://t.co/rJbGwsa1pU
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 23, 2024
In the 2019 movie “Joker,” we see the Joker riding in the backseat of a police vehicle as chaos and riots erupt throughout Gotham City. Later, he stands on top of the police car that crashed and is surrounded by a cheering audience.
Joey Mannarino, a conservative X influencer, made another debaucherous reference to pop culture.
“Philadelphia looks like Grand Theft Auto right now.” He said it was sad that the city where the Declaration of Independence had been signed has become like this.
Philadelphia basically looks like a game of Grand Theft Auto now.
It is just sad that we’ve allowed the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed to become this. pic.twitter.com/9JO9PK3Lv2
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) September 23, 2024
“They physically attacked some of our police officers,” Philadelphia Police Deputy Chief Mike Cram said to reporters at a press conference held on Monday. He noted the “aggressiveness of the mob.”
They’re jumping onto the windshield. Cram said, “They’re causing physical damage.” “They do not care about their safety or yours. You’ve seen their videos, and they don’t seem to care. “It’s all about how much chaos we can cause.”
Cram said that the police officers were “trapped” in the car when the mob attacked the patrol unit. He added that the police had been “definitely targetted” during the nighttime incidents.
Five Philadelphia police cars were damaged, ranging from cracked windshields to flat tires. A vehicle that struck and fled after hitting his patrol car caused minor injuries to one officer.
This isn’t a third-world country. Graham Allen, a podcaster, said: “This is PHILADELPHIA.”
This isn’t a third world country.
This is PHILADELPHIA…
— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) September 23, 2024