Footage of a Philadelphia police officer with his knee on the neck of a protestor has shocked viewers as nationwide protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweep the nation.
On Tuesday evening, police say a march to ICE headquarters in Philadelphia's city center became disruptive, with some demonstrators blocking streets and obstructing traffic, WPVI reported.
In a disturbing video from the scene, captured by Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Samantha Melamed, a protestor is seen down on the ground. An officer holds their arm, cuffing their wrist, kneeling on the ground with his knee on their neck.
A Philly Police officer kneeled on a person's head during an arrest at what had minutes earlier been a peaceful protest this evening in Center City over ICE enforcement pic.twitter.com/uBvVIsywq4
— Samantha Melamed (@samanthamelamed) June 11, 2025
Several officers are seen standing in the group, holding police bikes. One notices the other officer's knee on the protestor's neck and quickly moves toward him, first attempting to pull him up by his arm, then physically putting pressure on his knee to remove it from the protestor's neck.
The kneeling officer rises, yanking the protestor's arm back with one hand, pressing their back to the pavement with the other. His colleagues shift to create a protective circle around him with their bikes.
Online, viewers compared the incident to the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Video of the incident shows police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd repeated, "I can't breathe," and died of asphyxiation. Protests erupted globally against the law enforcement's use of excessive force against black suspects.
"What in the Derek Chauvin did I just watch?" questioned one viewer on Instagram. "I think we've seen this film before," lamented another.
"I see they've learned nothing," was a common refrain.
"They haven't learned a thing," one comment read, adding, "This is what we mean when we say that there is no liberation for some without liberation for all."
Users expressed outrage and condemned the officer's conduct.
"That tactic isn't just excessive force, it's lethal force," wrote one.
"The police escalate EVERYTHING," a user wrote, repeating, "The police escalate EVERYTHING. THE POLICE ESCALATE EVERYTHING."
"I'm of the mind that there are a couple of professions where we really can't, cannot, can and must not hold space for 'bad apples,'" another commented. "Doctors and cops are numbers one and two on that list."
"They form a barrier around the arresting cop...like they're trained to hide...hhhhmmmmm," one said, criticizing the surrounding officers. Another criticism simply read, "Muscle memory 🐖."
On X, where the video was originally posted, users defended the use of force, pointing their criticism at protestors in general, who they called "terrorists" and "insurgents," without evidence.
The rhetoric echoes officials in the Trump administration, who have railed against protests against ICE, describing the demonstrations as an "insurrection" or "invasion." In L.A., where demonstrations first broke out in response to ICE raids last week, Trump responded by sending the National Guard and marines (against the wishes of California Governor Gavin Newsom).
A massive parade in honor of the Army's 250th anniversary — which falls on Trump's 79th birthday — is planned in Washington D.C. for Saturday. Estimated to cost in the ballpark of $45 million, Trump warned Tuesday that protestors will be met with force.
Despite the alarming video, minimal harm resulted from Philadelphia's demonstration, during which a police vehicle was spray painted and four people sustained minor injuries. 14 protestors were arrested for disorderly conduct and one for aggravated assault of an officer.
Organizers in Philadelphia have planned another march for Saturday — the "No Kings Protest" — with road closures scheduled between 3 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Originally published on Latin Times
