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1985
The story of M.O.V.E., originally called the ‘Christian Movement for Life’, based in Philadelphia. This group advocates turning away from civilization, openly admitting to fighting the government and fighting cops. From their early rallies protesting police brutality to marches taunting then-mayor Frank Rizzo with violence and appearing in public with weapons, tensions in the city grew in the 1970s and culminated in several standoffs at the M.O.V.E. compound. In one of these standoffs, Philadelphia authorities dropped a bomb or two bombs made from C4 on the building killing 6 adults and 5 children.
We hear in detail about this deadly standoff, the aftermath, the reasons for it, and the unanswered questions remaining. Multiple principals are interviewed and statements from mayor Frank Rizzo and M.O.V.E. spokesman Gerald Africa are heard. Who shot first? After dropping the bomb, was the fire at the compound allowed to spread, and burn?
Later in the clip we hear from the only surviving child of that blast, who after a decade of hearing from M.O.V.E. members about the terror of the world, is back with his father and seeing positives in life.
In 1996 M.O.V.E. survivors won $1.5 million from the city government in a civil suit. In 2005, residents whose homes were burned sued Philadelphia and were awarded $12.83 million in a jury trial. In November of 2020 the City Council of Philadelphia issued a formal apology for the event and declared an annual day of reflection to remember the bombing.
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