Written by Taryn Flaherty and Isaiah Woods-Kolsky

_{Photo of MOVE’s HQ in Powelton Village.}

The former MOVE Headquarters in Powelton Village, located at 307-309 N. 33rd Street, is where the first major confrontation between MOVE and the Philadelphia police on August 8, 1978, which resulted in the death of police officer James J. Ramp and the incarceration of nine MOVE members for life. 

In 1974, the MOVE organization purchased a Victorian house at 309 N. 33rd Street, that would become their headquarters. Soon afterward, MOVE also purchased a twin house next door at 307 N. 33rd Street.

Beginning in 1974, altercations between MOVE and the police during different protests led to several miscarriages, which produced frustration and outcry within the Organization. Even through this brutality, Sue Africa gave birth to her son, Tomaso, at the Powelton Village headquarters on August 6, 1975. In 1977, rumors arose of a police raid on the headquarters. Following these rumors, MOVE created a raised platform and put up a fence around the headquarters in an effort to stop the violence and racial injustice they had already experienced by police.

On May 20, 1977 MOVE members, dressed in combat uniforms and bearing arms, performed a demonstration outside of the headquarters: “We told the cops there wasn’t gonna be any more undercover deaths. This time they better be prepared to murder us in full public view, cause if they came at us with fists, we were gonna come back with fists. If they came at us with clubs, we’d come back with clubs, and if they came with guns, we’d use guns too. We don’t believe in death dealing guns, we believe in life. But we knew the cops wouldn’t be so quick to attack us if they had to face the same stuff they dished out on unarmed defenseless folk.”

_{MOVE members standing on the raised platform outside of the Powelton Village HQ.}

Soon afterward a police barricade was put up on 33rd street. It blocked people from entering or leaving the neighborhood block MOVE lived on. In the spring of 1978, Frank Rizzo, who was the mayor of Philadelphia and the main perpetrator of the violence and racism MOVE faced, declared that the city would starve MOVE out of the area. Activists who tried to bring water and food to MOVE’s headquarters were arrested and beaten by police. Finally, in May of 1978, the city agreed to meet with MOVE and announced settlement terms. However, disagreements emerged. The city ordered MOVE to vacate the house within 90 days so that it could be destroyed. MOVE disagreed. Warrants were soon issued on every member of MOVE. 

On August 8, 1978, hundreds of heavily armed police attacked MOVE headquarters. At 7:00 am police informed MOVE that, “Uniformed officers will enter your house for the purpose of taking each of you into custody. Any resistance or use of force will be met with force.” An hour later firemen fired water into the basement of the establishment where all the members were located. All of a sudden gunshots were heard and police opened fire. Officer James Ramp was shot and killed and other police and firemen were injured. Police finally threw tear gas into the more than waist-high water-filled basement of MOVE’s house. This forced members who could not see or breathe. Members were immediately arrested and the young children were separated from the parents. When Delbert Africa exited the basement he was brutally beaten by multiple police. This arrest was caught on film and was later used in court to prove that denials of police misconduct were false. 

After the confrontation, the headquarters were immediately demolished. Ignoring the fact that it was a very important crime scene police destroyed any evidence that existed. MOVE would use a house at 6221 Osage Ave. as their new headquarters in the early 80s. This would end up being the same house that was obliterated by 37 pounds of C-4 explosives on May 13, 1985. After nine MOVE members, also known as the MOVE 9, were found guilty of third-degree murder, they were each sentenced to 30-100 years in prison. Now, after 39 years in prison, Debbie Africa was recently released. She is the first political prisoner of the MOVE 9 to be free from prison. Today, the MOVE organization is still fighting to free members of the MOVE 9.

_{Delbert Africa being attacked by multiple police after exiting the MOVE HQ basement.}

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Bibliography

Africa Jr, Mike. “Fifty Years Ona Move: The History of the Philadelphia Based MOVE Organization.” Dubside. 2021.

Dean, Mensah M. “Out of Prison After 41 Years, MOVE member Delbert Africa rails against ‘unjust’ criminal justice system.” The Philadelphia Inquirer. 2020.