We, the undersigned concerned residents, neighbors, and Philadelphia arts-supporters are alarmed by the neglectful stewardship of Liberty Lands Park by the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association (NLNA) on Sunday, October 6, 2024 and since.

Collaborating with police to cancel artistic events that express a political point of view does not protect “public safety,” it is censorship. Canceling programming expected by hundreds of families because of the violent behavior of one individual is not “engaging the community,” it is caving to hatred. Changing booking event processes to censor what politics can be presented does not keep us safe, it instills fear.

We ask that the NLNA denounce the violence that took place on Sunday, rescind the new event booking policy, and affirm a commitment to freedom of speech in park programming.

 

Description of events

• On Sunday, October 6, the Bread and Puppet Theater, a world-renowned theater troupe that has performed at Liberty Lands in the past, was scheduled to perform as part of their Beginning after the End of Humanity Circus Tour.
• Before the show began, a white, middle-aged resident of Northern Liberties arrived at the park, clearly agitated. He carried a knife, started tearing down the posters hung by the troupe, and was shouting about Hamas and anti-Semitism. He made threats to the whole gathering.
• A woman called out his behavior from a distance and told him to stop. The man ran over to and attacked the woman,  beating her to the ground.
• A second man, also white and middle aged, continued to scream at everyone and refused to leave as the first attacker was speaking to police across the street.
• According to his own account, Jeff Hornstein, President of the NLNA made the decision to cancel the event, saying it had not been “properly vetted.” He pointed to the “political content” of the production as the reason for the last-minute cancellation.
• In the days since, the NLNA has deleted posts and comments on social media that ask about the safety of the woman who was attacked, that ask about the identity of the attacker, and that question the NLNA’s decision to cancel the event.
• On Tuesday, October 8, the NLNA announced a “temporary moratorium on outside events” and that it was changing its policy for booking events.
• At no point has the NLNA denounced the aggressive perpetrator’s behavior, apologized to the theater-goers or the out-of-town performers, or asserted that violence in a community park is absolutely unacceptable. 

We affirm that Northern Liberties is home to many religious communities, ethnicities, and political beliefs.

We affirm that community spaces have a responsibility to host conversation, debate, and artistic experimentation for residents and neighbors of all ages – even and especially when that conversation is likely to lead to dissensus and disagreement.

We are alarmed that the NLNA and its president, Jeff Hornstein, have cited the performance’s content as the problematic issue and not the obviously violent behavior of an adult with a knife at a family-focused and kid-friendly event.

We are concerned that the perpetrator has not been identified or castigated and that no attempt has been made by the NLNA or its affiliates to affirm the safety of people who identify as Palestinian or who demand a ceasefire in Palestine.

Finally, we applaud the NLNA’s invitation to join a public Board of Directors meeting on Monday, October 14 at 6:30. We strongly encourage NLNA leadership to stand by their promise to facilitate an open and engaged conversation.

We ask the NLNA to commit to the following:

1. Drop the stated intention to change the booking process of events. This diverts attention away from the attackers and places it on the politics of the gathering. It is victim blaming and inflames rather than ameliorates the tense situation growing in the neighborhood.
2. Express concern for the groups who have been directly impacted by the perpetrators’ attack – including anti-Zionist Jews, Palestinians, Lebanese and other Arabs, and Muslim families and individuals who live in this neighborhood and are vibrant participants in and contributors to this park. Affirm that you hold yourselves accountable to all residents, not only apologists for Israel who disagree with calls for ceasefire in Palestine. Denounce those who use physical violence or intimidation to voice their disagreement.
3. Affirm your commitment to the safety and freedom of speech for all parties, including and especially on the question of US state violence, whether it is at our southern border, abroad in the Middle East, or in and around Northern Liberties (a neighborhood that is still actively gentrifying).

We are residents of this neighborhood and concerned neighbors. As the board of a neighbor’s association, we contend you are accountable to us. Your current decisions are having a deleterious effect on this community. 

 

As of 11/08/2024, this petition has been endorsed by:

Families for Ceasefire Philly

Philly Jewish Voice for peace

Philly Palestine Coalition

Philly Jews Against White Supremacy

The Albanian Masjid

The MAAS Building

Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture

The Fallser Club

Rise Choir Collective

The Pig Iron Theater

Reclaim Philadelphia