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Phila. Capitalist Group Apparently Responsible for Historic Unrest, Property Destruction

protest

Photo by Sage Ross / CC-BY-SA-2.5

A Philadelphia based capitalist group appears responsible for the historic unrest that has been simmering in the city for the past few decades. A close-knit group of corporate lobbyists and leaders of the local learning collectives, it has historically been known through different names, including the “West Philadelphia Corporation.”

Capitalizing off tensions arising in part due to the Cold War, this group successfully destroyed the property of thousands of people in West Philadelphia during the 1960s. The resulting land-grab created an effective militarized zone in which local residents, largely African-American, were displaced and shut off from large swaths of previously public property. 

Historians have reported that the resulting property destruction was responsible for an uptick in crime and greater social decay in the area, counter to the group’s original, capital-driven intent. Leaders of the group have been known to espouse a mixture of both reactionary and radical messages, often to quell dissent within its own members. 

Today, this group has toned down its rhetoric and actions, though its still trying to encourage its members to, like, go anywhere past 40th.

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