Philadelphia Police Drags Black Man Off Bus for Not Wearing Mask (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Viral video has been circulating around social media showing police in Philadelphia, the US, harshly enforcing people out of the public transportation for not wearing masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Posted by the Philly Transit Riders Union on Friday, the video shows multiple police officers forcibly removing a unmasked man from the bus.
He says all of this while he himself is not wearing a mask. A rider also not wearing a mask is then told to exit the vehicle.
The Philadelphia Police Department released a statement saying the passenger was asked to remove himself from the bus several times by the driver, but refused. Police then answered a call reporting a “disturbance.”
The Riders Union, an organization that defends the rights of public transit workers and riders, has pointed out that transit authorities have not been clear enough about whether a mask is simply recommended or required.
They asked people to email the police chief to “say cops should hand out masks” and not “assault” riders.
