Philly People’s March; MLK Day events; Vote for Pa. River of the Year

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Nearly a thousand Philadelphians gathered in Center City on Saturday as part of a nationwide People’s March to express their concern with the policies they’re expecting from President-elect Donald Trump.

Born from the 2017 Women’s March, organizers expanded the march’s focus, and marchers paraded from City Hall down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, calling for the protection of reproductive rights and the LGBTQ+ community, immigration reform, and other causes. See photos…

Hundreds of people march past City Hall during the 2025 People’s March Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. Approximately 700 people participated in the march from City Hall to the Philadelphia Art Museum according to organizers of the march. (Photos by Erin Blewitt)

The holiday that celebrates one of the great figures in American history is here, and you can honor Dr. King’s legacy by finding a service project near you. Billy Penn fave Terrill Haigler is taking out his new trash truck with plans to clean up a neighborhood. Continue reading…

Terrill Haigler, aka Ya Fav Trashman (center) and workers Tyler Johnson (right) and Tymir Wilson (left) with the Philly Litter Task Force’s new truckout collecting litter like drywall and mattresses that were dumped in public areas on January 15, 2025. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Pa. is choosing its River of the Year, and it’s on you to keep some unpronounceable Western Pa. river from walking away with the honor. {Billy Penn]

• Mayor Cherelle Parker is one of several leaders of so-called sanctuary cities across the U.S. who are shifting their tone ahead of Trump’s mass deportation plans. [NBC]

• The Eagles will host the NFC title game after fans cheered them on through an anxiety-filled win over the LA Rams in a raucuous, snowy Lincoln Financial Field. [WHYY/6ABC]

• The Philly area MACH2 hydrogen “hub” gets a greenlight from the departing Biden administration. [WHYY]

• Experts recommend a “road salt diet” as a snowstorm hits the Philly region, saying that while salt makes it safer to walk and drive, it also pollutes waterways, soil and groundwater. [WHYY]

• Jefferson resident physicians voted to unionize, joining a national trend that includes medical professionals at Temple and Einstein. [PhillyVoice/WHYY]

• The mayor’s pilot program adding another trash day in Center City and South Philly was meant to reduce litter — but some residents say the problem has only gotten worse. [WHYY]

• A Philly artist created a climate news AI bot. The result is “a little sassy.” [WHYY]

• Delconians came dressed in their best tuxedos and tuxedo T-shirts to the premiere of “Delco: The Movie.” [Inquirer$]

MAYOR WATCH

The Mayor will deliver remarks on the annual Martin Luther King Day of Service, hosted by Global Citizen, where over 150,000 people volunteer to serve their communities, at Girard College, 2101 S. College Ave. (9 a.m.)

The Mayor will deliver remarks at this annual bell-ringing ceremony to celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy, at the Liberty Bell Center, 526 Market St. (11:15 a.m.)

The Mayor will join the Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Association for Nonviolence, Inc. at this annual awards and benefit luncheon honoring C. Delores Tucker, the founder of the Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Association for Nonviolence, Inc., at the Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia Hotel, 17th and Race streets. (1:30 p.m.)

ON THE CALENDAR

🐈 Monday, Jan. 20: MLK Jr. Day Vaccination Clinic
Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital hosts this free clinic for up to two pets per household, and human flu vaccines are also available. Call 215-898-4680 between 8 and 10 a.m. to make an appointment. (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

📜 Through Monday, Jan. 20: MLK Weekend at the AmRev Museum
Through theatrical performances, pop-up talks, hands-on discovery carts, a poetry activity, and more, visitors “discover the ongoing promise of the American Revolution and explore what it takes to change the world.” Various times.

✊🏽 Monday, Jan. 20: MLK Day of Service
Volunteer opportunities in Philadelphia on MLK Jr. Day, from neighborhood cleanups and printmaking workshops to park and creek restoration efforts. Various times and locations.

🎞️ Wednesday, Jan. 22: Chinatown Fundraiser and Film Screening: “Chan Is Missing”
South Philly Autonomous Cinema hosts a film screening and fundraiser for Ginger Arts Center, a community space for youth by youth in Chinatown. This neo-noir comedy caper set in San Francisco is the first Asian-American feature film to be both widely distributed and critically acclaimed outside the Asian American community. Masks required. All ages welcome. $11.52 tickets. (7 p.m.)