The Aftermath: May 14, 1985-Present

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Title

The Aftermath: May 14, 1985-Present

Description

In total, eleven people were dead, sixty-one homes were lost, and over 200 people were left homeless. The city promised that homes would be rebuilt by December. It was not that simple. 

No city officials were ever charged with a crime for this incident, although there were several investigations that lasted years. The general consensus was that there was an inexcusable lack of communication at the top level of city government and that the decision to drop the bomb was reckless and hasty.

MOVE still exists today, although with considerably less of a presence than they had in the 1970s and 1980s. 

This site is meant to serve as a companion to this Sutori website

Collection Items

Criticism of Philadelphia Grows Over Bombing of Radicals' Home
Residents affected by the fire raised criticisms of the city's attempts to rebuild. Not only were they concerned that the new homes would not be up to standard, but also that they hadn't received much of the money raised by relief agencies. Clifford…

Excerpts From Commission's Report on Bombing
This New York Times article made public the findings of the Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, a committee that had been created specifically to investigate the MOVE bombing. While concluding that the bombing was "excessive" and…

Information Lack Cited in Bombing: Top Philadelphia Officials Say They Lost Touch in Assault on Radical Group Move
This New York Times article demonstrates how unprepared the city was to deal with the ramifications of the bombing, as well as major communication issues at the top level of city government. As the investigation was ongoing, Mayor W. Wilson Goode…

Untitled (Osage Avenue Property in 2010)
Even as recently as 2010, many of the rebuilt homes on Osage Avenue remain unoccupied. The buildings were so poorly constructed that residents sued the city, but the city later dismissed the lawsuit. This photo shows what the neighborhood looked like…

None Indicted in MOVE Bombing But Jury Calls Act "Reprehensible"
Ultimately, no city officials were ever charged with a crime for the bombing and the resulting fire. The grand jury that overheard the case used blistering language to condemn Mayor Goode, but voted not to file charges by an overwhelming majority.…

Witness Assails Goode as "Mayor of Murder"
While initially dealing with the accusations of the mother of one of the MOVE members killed in the bombing, this article also touches on the tactics of MOVE leading up to the bombing. The author never explicitly says it, but this article reads as a…

Untitled (First Responders Clear Debris and Bodies)
This photo was taken the day after the bombing. After the fire was put out, first responders arrived on the scene to clean up the damage. Included in that cleanup was taking away the remains of eleven MOVE members who died; five of the dead were…

Untitled (Aerial View Of The Destruction)
An aerial view of the burned out rowhouses, taken the day after the fire. Osage Avenue is visible in between the ruins. The aerial view captures the totality of the destruction. City officials scrambled to rebuild the destroyed property. Goode…

Untitled (Sifting Through The Rubble)
Investigators spent days searching the debris for bodies. In all, eleven people were found dead and sixty-one buildings were burned down. From this angle, viewers can get a better understanding of just how much was lost in a very brief period of…

Untitled (Residents Grieve The Loss Of Their Homes)
Residents were devastated to find that all their possessions had burned along with their homes. Here, unidentified residents weep at the sight of what is left of their neighborhood. While the city promised to rebuild, what residents received were…
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