MOVE 1985
Written by Atu on September 1, 2020
Did you ever hear about the bomb a police helicopter dropped on a neighborhood in Philadelphia back in the 80s?
A documentary entitled “Let The Fire Burn” was produced to recapture the events surrounding MOVE – A Philadelphia-based Black liberation group founded by John Africa (born Vincent Leaphart) in 1972. The group was said to have lived communally and frequently engaged in public demonstrations against police brutality, racism and other issues.
The group is particularly known for two major conflicts with the Philadelphia Police Department. In 1978, a standoff resulted in the death of one police officer, injuries to several other people and life sentences for nine members. In 1985, another standoff ended when a police helicopter dropped a bomb on their compound which caused a fire that destroyed 65 houses and killed eleven MOVE members, including five children.
