Philadelphia

City Ends Wall-Sitting Ban at Rittenhouse Square After Protests

A spokesperson for the city's Parks and Recreation confirmed with NBC10 the signs banning sitting on the walls at the park were removed Tuesday.

Philadelphia has ended a ban on people sitting on walls in Rittenhouse Square.

A spokesperson for the city's Parks and Recreation confirmed with NBC10 the signs banning sitting on the walls at the park were removed Tuesday following protests on social media and a tweet from Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney over the weekend saying, "Sit where you want."

Friends of Rittenhouse is a nonprofit group that manages the park. It says the decision to impose the ban last week stemmed from "continuous vandalism and marijuana smoking."

Kenney's spokeswoman says the mayor felt some concerns on the part of park users were legitimate but the ban was "an over-correction." She says there's talk about putting more seating in the park.

The city decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2014.

The walls are popular places to sit at lunchtime, especially in warmer months as benches fill with office workers and area residents.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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