Police are saying that there’s “no indication” that this was a flash mob and the news reports are trying hard to agree with them. But witnesses on the scene and video obtained by the local ABC affiliate show that the Philadelphia authorities are playing a word game on this one. Since most people define a flash mob as one that is formed on a social network, and there is evidence that this mob spread by actual word of mouth, the police are trying to make it seem as if this isn’t yet another example of a problem they can’t solve:

As the crowds cleared for the night, a chaotic scene erupted on South Broad Street, near City Hall. Viewer video, obtained exclusively by Action News, shows an unruly crowd of young people flooded into the streets. Police rushed to the scene.

Jay Ingersoll captured the home video. Jay explains to Action News, “We left the fireworks probably not even five minutes into [the show]… and we left and we walked down Chestnut Street. And we got to 15th and Chestnut and we heard ‘Flash mob, flash mob, flash mob!'”

He said he saw fights breaking out, people getting punched as police moved in to try and make arrests.

Police insist this latest incident was not a flash mob. According to the definition police associate with a flash mob, it is a pre-organized event spread by young people using social networking sites, agreeing to meet some place and cause trouble. Whereas Sunday night’s mob seemed to be “a spontaneous eruption of unruly behavior” from people who were leaving the July 4th festivities. Police say, so far there no indications that last night’s events were preplanned in any way.

Flash mobs are something that police and prosecutors have worked very hard to crack down on. There were a couple of them along Market Street during the school year.

But word games only help police statistics (We only had 7 flash mobs this year, out of 16 riots! We’re doing great!) not the people assaulted, robbed and worse by the lawless and violent youth culture of Philadelphia. Judging from the video and witness statement much of the violence was racially motivated.

This was at the 4th of July celebration. Imagine what Philadelphia will be like if there’s a food or fuel shortage. If you are in or near Philly I’d make plans on leaving if there was any sort of emergency. Police are trying to minimize the situation on the ground and maintain the illusion of control. But Philadelphia is one disaster away from total anarchy.