How 'Black Lives Matter' screwed up their Mummers' protest

A group calling itself The Philly Coalition for REAL Justice made several mistakes with their planned protest of this year's Mummers Parade.

First, it announced it would disrupt the parade at City Hall at 1 p.m. to protest – whatever. They told the cops where they would be, and when. Second, they wouldn't talk to the cops in advance. Because they are so smart and tough.

The PPD Civil Affairs people are top rate. Something might have been arranged, but noooooo.

On the street, Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel told me the Mummers had a parade permit, the REAL losers didn't, so cops would keep them from disrupting the parade – and they did, with bicycle cops forming a barricade and moving to wherever the REAL losers planned to jump the fencing.

I did see several of their signs, which I choose not to share as some are dopy, some are false and others inflammatory. I called the group a few days earlier to talk about their plans and grievances. No one returned the call.

However, the answer machine said something about it being the "international action line" for several groups, including the Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal.

Here's the Great Irony: This group wanted to protest police "murders," and represent Mumidiots who praise a man who murdered a Philadelphia police officer, Daniel Faulkner.

When the Parade started, I noticed a couple of grandmotherly women holding signs, one Black Lives Matter, the other protesting racism, war, xenophobia.

Holding that sign was Marta Guttenberg, who said, "With so many things wrong in Philadelphia, I wanted to bring attention to that at the Mummers Parade." She was for "a more racially just city."

She and her friend bought $19 tickets and quietly held their signs and moved around the bleachers.

I asked if she had a beef with the Parade itself.

"It's improving in diversity," she said, correctly. That's because people protested before, she added incorrectly.

The Mummers are more diverse than many think, and for longer than many think.

A few minutes later, I noticed a group of cops surrounding Guttenberg and I moved over to check it out because she had every right in the world to be there with her sign. (I suspect the cops may have thought she was with the REAL group.)

After she explained she had bought her ticket, and had asked if she could bring a sign, the cops were satisfied.

That's the way things are supposed to work. Guttenberg was free to make her point and protest without disrupting the parade and other peoples' enjoyment of it.