Rowhouse Bombing Labeled As Mass Suicide

You may not remember the MOVE Bombing back in 1985 — I don’t — but you’ve certainly heard of it countless times since then. On Osage Avenue in West Philly on May 13, the city decided to drop a bomb on the MOVE fortification on top of several connected rowhouses.

Eleven people died, 62 houses were destroyed and everybody moved on, except for the MOVE people, of course. Anyway, the current Guinness Book of World Records has the MOVE bombing listed on a fun ol’ list: Mass suicides!

The MOVE “mass suicide ranking” is sandwiched between Heaven’s Gate (the 39 dudes in the Nikes in 1997) and the Symbionese Liberation Army (six in 1974). Perhaps they felt 33 was too long of a gap between suicides and they had to find something in between the two.

Ramona Africa, who survived the 1985 bombing, is pissed, but said the Cult Information Centre, who compiled the info, was “arrogant and uncooperative” when she called. She did, however, set a new Guinness World Record for “most motherfuckers in a minute” during her call with the CIC. Congratulations, Ramona!