In Photos: Protesters Encounter Heightened Police Presence During Weekly Day & Zimmerman Protest
By Ben Bennett
September 16, 2025
On Sept. 9, members of Philly Palestine Coalition were met with increased police presence and surveillance at their weekly protest outside Day & Zimmerman’s corporate headquarters on Spring Garden Street.
The goal of the coalition’s weekly ‘Tuesdays at D&Z’ protests, which begin at 6:30 a.m., is to force the defense contractor—a key munitions supplier for the Israeli military—out of Philadelphia.
Demonstrations begin around 6:45 a.m. outside Day & Zimmerman’s corporate headquarters on Spring Garden Street. Protestors chant and drum on buckets and pans by the entrance. All photos by Ben Bennett
A protester plays notes on a trumpet to the beat of the chants.
A protester argues with a plainclothes police officer.
As the sun rises, the demonstration continues, garnering more attention from both people on their way to work and the police present at the demonstration.
A bus parks in front of Day & Zimmerman, obscuring the view of the protest from Spring Garden Street and causing demonstrators holding a banner to move.
Two police officers watch the demonstration unfold from the median on Spring Garden Street.
After about an hour, the demonstration moves into Spring Garden Street, closing off the street for the remainder of the protest.
A demonstrator blocks the view of a police photographer in an effort to shield other protesters from being photographed.
At 8:30 a.m. the protest ends and demonstrators disperse. They are urged by a Philly Palestine Coalition speaker to leave in groups so as to not be apprehended by the police.
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Ben Bennett is a Chinese-American visual journalist based in Philadelphia and an Al-Bustan Media Fellow. He is a recent graduate of American University's journalism program, where his coverage focused on underserved communities and the intersection of politics and popular culture.
Al-Bustan News is made possible by a grant from Independence Public Media Foundation.