Activist Pleads Guilty To Federal Charge In 2020 Philadelphia Protest

CBS Philadelphia

June 7, 2023

PHILADELPHIA -- A well-known west Philadelphia activist has pleaded guilty to a felony over actions during 2020 protests following the death of George Floyd.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Anthony Smith pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge of obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder. The plea comes a couple of months after Philadelphia officials announced a $9.25 million settlement over lawsuits filed by him and other activists challenging the police response to the protests and civil disorder following Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Smith, 31, told U.S. District Judge Juan Sánchez that he and others flipped a police car parked outside City Hall. The judge said people had a right to peacefully assemble and protest but "the right to … destroy property, we don't have that right."

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