A city councilwoman renewed her call to have the Frank Rizzo statue removed from Philadelphia property after a week of vandalism targeted imagery of the former mayor.
Councilwoman-at-Large Helen Gym took to Twitter Saturday to explain her calls to have Rizzo’s statue removed:
“When it comes to public space, they must reflect values of the welcoming/ inclusive Philadelphia we aspire to be -- no matter how imperfect,” Gym tweeted hours after vandals threw paint on an Italian Market mural of Rizzo in South Philadelphia.
The mural vandalism came after a series of eggings, protests and the spray-painting of “Black Power” onto Rizzo’s statue outside the Municipal Services Building in Center City.
“My call is and has always been for a respectful public process to move the statue to a better location,” Gym said. “I'm committed to that.”
The string of vandalism follows renewed calls for the removal of public images in cities around the country the wake of the deadly violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia last weekend, and national discussion over how to handle statues and monuments linked to racism and other emotionally-charged issues.
Driven by Gym, there is growing support for removing tributes to Rizzo, who died of a heart attack in 1991. Some call the statue and mural reminders of Rizzo's strained history with the African-American and gay communities during the late 1960s and 1970s.
Rizzo, a hard-charging, big-mouthed icon of head-cracking law enforcement in Philadelphia, served as police commissioner for four years before serving two terms as the city’s mayor from 1972 to 1980. His friends, family and fans remember him as a devoted public servant unafraid to speak his mind. Thousands of people signed a recent online petition to keep the statue in place.
“Frank Rizzo means many things to many people,” Gym said. “He was known & loved by those who knew & loved him. Moving statue doesn't take that away. The hatred and violence I and others have received also points to a legacy of racism/violence by those who profess to honor his memory.”
Gym claims the vandalism is nothing new.
“The statue and mural have long been the most vandalized in the city. It is not new and points to how divisive his legacy remains.”
Groups have spent parts of the last year calling for Rizzo’s statue to be removed and the mural in South Philly was targeted in May and back in 2012.
Pro-Rizzo and anti-Rizzo demonstrations are planned for Monday.
Lowlights from Rizzo's time as police commissioner include an incident in 1970 of officers raiding the Philadelphia headquarters of the Black Panthers and forcing the men to strip in public.
“It's time to move the statue to a proper setting and recognize that memorials aren't permanent testaments to a fixed history,” Gym said.
