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What is the Philadelphia People’s Tribunal?

Philadelphia People’sTribunal on War Crimes & Genocide in Gaza

On May 31, 2025, the people of Philadelphia conducted a People’s Tribunal to hold the United States Government, the U.S. Executive Branch, the U.S. Congress, & U.S. Senator John Fetterman and other designated members of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Congressional Delegation Accountable for Genocide & War Crimes in Gaza.

Hundreds of people attended in person at Friends Center and via Zoom. Check back soon for a link to the full Zoom recording.

Read and listen to WHYY’s coverage here.

View photos of the Tribunal here.

The jury, a group of nine community leaders representing a cross section of Philadelphia, are deliberating and will release their findings on July 16, 2025 at 10:00 AM at Friends Center, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia.

The Tribunal was modeled after a grand jury hearing; the jury will determine if evidence of complicity was sufficient to warrant indictment of certain government institutions and specific state actors.

What is a People’s Tribunal?

People’s Tribunals are forums of justice organized by social justice movements and organizations to adjudicate human rights abuse cases against states, state actors, and state-backed corporations. The judgments rendered through people’s tribunals are non-binding, as their decisions are not backed by the force of state authority. However, a People’s Tribunal is a forum through which empowered citizens can advance human rights and hold governments, government officials, and government-funded corporations to account for egregious abuses of human rights (People’sTribunals: Holding Power to Account. Azadeh Shahshahani. 2023).

Event Overview

On Saturday, May 31,2025, a team of human rights attorneys and international law experts representing the people of Philadelphia, PA presented the case at the Philadelphia People’s Tribunal that U.S. government officials, including Senator John Fetterman (PA) and other designated members of the Pennsylvania U.S. Congressional delegation, are guilty of complicity with Israel’s U.S-funded war crimes and genocide in Gaza.

The Philadelphia People’s Tribunal is an organizing project of Fridays @ Fetterman’s, a grassroots movement to end Israel’s U.S.-funded war on Gaza/Palestine. The event is co-sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA).

Below (L-R): King Downing, Lead Attorney

Jonathan Kuttab, Principal Legal Advisor

Lewis Webb, Jr., Attorney Advisor

Organizational Endorsements

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

Brandywine Peace Community

Community Peacemaker Teams

Council on American-Islamic Relations, Philadelphia Chapter (CAIR-Philadelphia)

CPUSA Philly

Episcopal Peace Fellowship’s Palestine Israel Network

Extinction Rebellion Philadelphia

Families for Ceasefire Philly

FreedomRoad.us

Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)

Fridays @ Fetterman's

Granny Peace Brigade

IfNotNow Philly

Indiana Center for Middle East Peace

Jewish Boomers Against Occupation in Palestine

Jewish Voice for Peace Philly

Mennonite Action Philly

Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace

Peace Action Network of Lancaster (PA)

Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW!

PCAP - Palestinian Alliance for Peace

Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America

Philadelphia Palestinian Americans

Philly CP USA

Philly Metro Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East

Rabbis for a Ceasefire

Reclaim Philadelphia

Red Letter Christians

The Simple Way

United Church of Christ Movement for Palestinian Solidarity

Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, Greater Philadelphia Branch

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