Casino-Free Philadelphia Demands Apology from Sugarhouse on Mob Attack

PHILADELPHIA – Casino-Free Philadelphia is demanding an apology from Sugarhouse after a mob attack on one of its members. On Saturday afternoon during Sugarhouse’s “Sweet Beginnings” picnic at Penn Treaty Park, a group of pro-casino members surrounded and attacked Ed Verral, a Casino-Free Philadelphia member. According to several eyewitnesses the attackers were aligned with FACT, a pro-casino Fishtown group.

According to at least one eyewitness a call was made by FACT member Donna Tomlinson after unsuccessfully getting Ed Verall, who opposes the building of Sugarhouse, to leave the event. He insisted that at a public event on public grounds he had no reason to leave.

Soon after the call several unidentified men arrived and immediately jumped Mr. Verral, smashing his nose, stealing his sunglasses and messing up his bike. Police arrived shortly but took no names of the attackers or full statements.

The class wars just got ugly, kids. Rest of the release after the jump.

Ed subsequently went to the district 26 police station to give testimony and got several eyewitnesses to give testimony to the police. He is a long-term Fishtown resident who lives on Allen Street which is across the street from the Sugarhouse site.

Casino-Free Philadelphia condemns the attack and the use of violence to achieve political ends. It is calling for the attackers and eyewitnesses to come forward and denounce the attack. It further is demanding an apology from Sugarhosue, the organizers of the event.

Casino-Free Philadelphia write, “While we are not certain of all the names of who is behind the attack and how it was planned, we believe organizers should take responsibility for violence done on their behalf and apologize for their role in fanning the flames of hatred and division in Fishtown. Sugarhouse has repeatedly used heightened rhetoric to try to divide Fishtown.”

For now, Ed Verral is okay but recovering slowly. He wants everyone to know he will continue to be in the struggle and continue being vocal in opposition to Sugarhouse. He also asks everybody from the anti-casino movement keep the high moral ground and not return politically-motiviated violence with more violence.

Casino-Free Philadelphia is committed to nonviolent protest and has led multiple training of its members in techniques to reduce violence and engage in methods of peaceful protest.

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Related: NoLibs.org: A Neighbor’s Account

This entry was posted on Monday, September 10th, 2007 at 9:43 am.