The 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia

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In 1981 MOVE relocated to a row house at 6221 Osage Avenue in the Cobbs Creek area of West Philadelphia. After the move, neighbors complained for years that MOVE members were broadcasting political messages by bullhorn.[20] The bullhorn was broken and inoperable for the three weeks prior to the bombing of the row house.[20] The police obtained arrest warrants charging four occupants with crimes including parole violations, contempt of court, illegal possession of firearms, and making terrorist threats.[2] Mayor W. Wilson Goode and police commissioner Gregore J. Sambor classified MOVE as a terrorist organization.[21] Residents of the area were evacuated from the premises. They were told that would be able to return to their homes after a twenty-four hour period.[13] On Monday, May 13, 1985, nearly 500 police officers, along with city manager Leo Brooks, arrived in force and attempted to clear the building and execute the arrest warrants.[21][13] Water and electricity was shut off in order to force MOVE members out of the house. Commissioner Sambor read a long speech addressed to MOVE members that started with, "Attention MOVE... this is America". When the MOVE members did not respond the police decided to forcefully remove the members from the premise.[13] This led to an armed standoff with police,[3] who lobbed tear gas canisters at the building. The police said that MOVE members fired at them; a gunfight with semi-automatic and automatic firearms ensued.[22] Police went through over ten thousand rounds of ammunition before Commissioner Sambor ordered that the compound be bombed.[22] From a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter, Philadelphia Police Department Lt. Frank Powell proceeded to drop two one-pound bombs (which the police referred to as "entry devices"[21]) made of FBI-supplied water gel explosive, a dynamite substitute, targeting a fortified, bunker-like cubicle on the roof of the house.[23] The resulting explosions ignited a fire from fuel for a gasoline-powered generator in the rooftop bunker; it spread and eventually destroyed approximately 65 nearby houses. The firefighters, who had earlier deluge-hosed the MOVE members in a failed attempt to evict them from the building, stood by as the fire caused by the bomb engulfed the first house and spread to others, having been given orders to let the fire burn by Commissioner Sambor. Despite the earlier drenching of the building by firefighters, officials said they feared that MOVE would shoot at the firefighters.[10][22][23][24] Mayor Wilson Goode testified that he ordered the fire to be put out after the bunker had burned. Police commissioner said he received the order but the fire commissioner testified he did not receive the order. Eleven people (John Africa, five other adults, and five children aged 7 to 13) died in the resulting fire, and more than 250 people in the neighborhood were left homeless.[25] Ramona Africa, one of the two survivors, said that police fired at those trying to escape.[26]

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