Marines Alejandro Godinez and Luis Torres testified in uniform about being assaulted by Antifa in the Old City district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 17th.
Godinez and Torres said they were touring historical landmarks near Front and Chestnut streets when Tom Keenan — who many consider the “leader” of Philadelpia’s antifa movement — and fellow suspect Thomas Massey approached them. The Marines were in town with other members of their helicopter unit, in order to attend a local Marine event.
Keenan began to ask them if they were “proud,” eventually asking “are you Proud Boys?” Godinez recalled responding simply “We are Marines.” According to their testimony, this is when the situation escalated into assault. The U.S. Marine reservists were attacked by Keenan, Massey, and a group of roughly a dozen others chanting “fuck him up.”
The soldiers were called white supremacists and nazis. When Godinez cried out that he was Mexican, the jeering turned to racial slurs like “spic” and “wetback.” According to his testimony, “The best way I can describe it is the sound of people chanting in a soccer stadium,” adding that Keenan was “laughing, smiling, and having a good time, while I could have died that day.”
The judge ruled that both men would be held for trial on felony charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy, along with several misdemeanors. This will be far from Keenan’s first time in legal jeopardy. As part of the “Love Park 4,” Keenan was charged with criminal conspiracy, institutional vandalism, resisting arrest, and criminal mischief.
At the time, Keenan only pleaded guilty to “disorderly conduct,” and the remaining charges were withdrawn. Whether or not he can evade consequences this time as well remains to be seen. Keenan and Massey will have their day in court on December 27.
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