For more than two years, residents of Philadelphia’s Chinatown and surrounding neighborhoods protested a plan to build a new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers on top of a local transit stop. Despite widespread opposition, the proposal appeared to be moving forward with the city’s blessing. But it fell apart in early 2025, when the team’s owners decided to build new in their current location in South Philadelphia.

Here, local poet Lindo Jones, known as LindoYes, reflects on the art of protest in moments like these.

Watch a video of the performance at https://shelterforce.org/2025/05/16/poem-art-of-protest/