Joe Biden To Visit Philadelphia On Sunday To Address Crises Facing Country, Campaign Says
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will be in Philadelphia on Sunday. Biden is expected to discuss bringing Americans together and to address the crises facing the country, his campaign said.
This comes as there has been ongoing unrest and protests in the city following the deadly police shooting of a black man in West Philadelphia. Walter Wallace Jr., 27, was killed on Monday afternoon by two officers after, police say, he walked towards them with a knife and refused to drop the weapon. His family says Wallace Jr. was having a mental health crisis.
Later that day, 30 police officers were injured during violent protests, including a female officer who suffered a broken leg after being hit by a car. A number of West Philadelphia businesses have been looted and vandalized throughout the week.
Meanwhile, Biden is relying on strong turnout among Black voters in cities such as Detroit, Philadelphia and Milwaukee to tip critical swing states in his direction. He's put Black voters at the center of his 2020 campaign. He has acknowledged systemic racism and has pledged to address it.
"Donald Trump fails to condemn white supremacy, doesn't believe that systemic racism is a problem, and won't say that Black lives matter," Biden said Tuesday in Atlanta. "We know Black lives matter."
The Biden campaign has also spent a significant amount of time and resources to connect with younger voters, who turned out in droves over the summer to protest police brutality and racism.
Before his arrival in Philadelphia, Biden is set to hold a socially-distanced drive-in event in St. Paul on Friday.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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