Editor: This is a guest post from ‘pungentpeppers.’ I’m traveling today and will see how much I can still get posted. The mainstream media is doing a pretty good job of paying attention to the “refugee” issue these days—thanks to the unaccompanied alien minors surging at the border (LOL! less work for me!).
We don’t take very many Liberians through the regular resettlement program (one of the articles ‘pp’ linked says 3,300 went to Philadelphia), but large numbers who were here for other reasons, some illegally, were also granted ‘temporary protected status’ and never went home. TPS is another LEGAL immigration program for “refugees” that needs to be scrapped. Search RRW for ‘temporary protected status’ to read more.
Diversity is beautiful alert……see link to tax fraud by Philadelphia Liberians too (below)!
‘Pungenpeppers’ reporting from Philly:
After a fire took four young lives, an angry, mostly Liberian mob stormed the streets of Southwest Philadelphia yesterday (Monday) taking over entire blocks. At times hurling water bottles at police, the outraged crowd were protesting what they perceived to be a too slow response to the fire that also destroyed a block of homes in their Liberian neighborhood.
Gathering on the heels of threats made against firefighters, the noisy protesters blocked a fire station, preventing crews from responding to emergency calls. Per NBC10’s George Spencer, at the scene, it was “one of the angriest mobs I have seen as a reporter”.
Saturday’s blaze started before 3:00 a.m., perhaps after fireworks set alight a sofa that was being used as porch furniture. The fire exploded and spread quickly to neighboring row homes. Dewen Bowah, 41, was in the home alone at the time taking care of seven children. She saved three daughters, but could not reach her 4-year-old twins, Maria and Marialla Bowah, or the children of another mother, 1-month-old Taj Jacque and 4-year-old Patrick Sanyeah who perished. Bowah, who saved her life by jumping out a second story window, was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
At the stormy protest, Patrick Sanyeah, whose son — also named Patrick — died in the fire, shouted “These people let our kids burn to ashes!” Other family members and neighbors accused police and firefighters, yelling “Murderers!” After nightfall, the crowd finally dispersed.
“Obviously the fire is the individual incident that set this off,” said Liberian community activist Christian Dunbar, “but I think this is frustration from a community that feels underrepresented.” Dahn Dennis, president of the Liberian Association of Pennsylvania, said, “The route being taken now is not the right way. This is not the representation of Liberians. We are decent people.” Many Liberians have been settled in Philadelphia by refugee resettlement contractors. Per a Philadelphia Weekly report, since the late 1990s, more refugees have arrived in Philadelphia from Liberia than from any other country—about 3,300 in total.
Fire investigators plan to return this morning to sift through the ashes. Last year, the Philadelphia Fire Department distributed free smoke detectors to the residents of the street, and it’s been reported that the detectors were installed in the home at that time.
Sorry, this is a major story, and I used many links:
About the Protests:
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/07/07/protest-outside-fire-station-near-scene-of-deadly-blaze-that-killed-4-children-in-southwest-philadelphia/
http://6abc.com/news/protests-near-scene-of-deadly-sw-phila-blaze/158251/
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/children-killed-fast-moving-rowhouse-fire-24436019
Re Liberian Refugees (from 2010)
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/refugees-settling-in-philadelphia.html
Addendum:
By the way, out of Liberia yesterday, is news that Liberians in the Philadelphia area have been involved in tax refund fraud.
Liberia: African Immigrants Dupe U.S. Government of Six Million