West Philadelphia block party tradition on hold due to risk of violence

WEST PHILADELPHIA - A neighborhood tradition is on hold this year and COVID-19 is not to blame.

The West Fest Block Party was supposed to start on Saturday at the Sayre Rec Center in West Philadelphia, but organizers pulled the plug after recent gun violence in the city. 

The decision is causing quite the controversy as some neighbors are disappointed that the party is off, while others say no one should take any chances right now. 

"I’m very angry, and I think it’s unfair that we didn’t have a say in it," said Nadia Salaam, a mother in the neighborhood. "We're talking about a block party that was supposed to bring unified love that owe have in the city." 

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Corey Ford agrees with Salaam as he says he feels cheated that his four kids will miss out. 

"No, I don’t think they should have canceled it," said Ford. "They took a lot of fun away from my kids."

The head of the West Corridor Collaborative said in a statement that the risk of violence breaking out is just too great, especially after recent shootings, including the panic on the parkway on July 4th.

Laverne Stewart, a grandmother from the neighborhood, says she agrees with the head of the West Corridor Collaborative because she fears chaos will ensue. 

"We don’t need the block party because once that block party gets here, there’s going to be all kinds of commotion," she said. "There's too much going on in the city with these teenagers. They're even going out and shooting cops, and we don't need any of that."

Organizers say two other block parties, one in August and one in September, are still up in the air.