UPDATED: 6:15 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Thousands of people took to the streets of Philadelphia as Joe Biden was projected the winner of the 2020 president election by multiple media outlets, including CBS News and the Associated Press.
In front of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where the remaining votes continue to be counted, hundreds of Biden supporters danced in the street as music blared, while a couple dozen Trump supporters held signs and stared them down, with police officers in the middle keeping the peace.
The crowd outside the Convention Center was jubilant. Many said despite COVID-19, they wanted to be with other Biden supporters to celebrate.
Among them, Priya Ranganath and Samik Patel, who were wearing "Count Every Vote" face masks. They said they trusted the process.
"I think that we could have been done sooner if the Republicans in the legislature had okayed a bill that we wanted to pass, but you know, when it all comes down to it, this is Philly, we had to trust the process, and it worked out," said Ranganath.
"It was definitely ardurous at times just waiting for results, but I'm happy it went the way it went at this point, and I think in the future, it's a lesson on how to make elections more efficient, better and equitable for everyone," added Patel.
The throng of Biden backers on 12th and Arch streets spent hours chanting and yelling at about 50 Trump supporters who were waving flags and blasting music, all under the watchful eye of the Philadelphia Police Department.
Thousands also made their voices heard on Independence Mall, where the atmosphere took on a similar block party tone. While Philadelphians celebrated a Biden/Harris win, those who did the hard work of inspiring people to vote and making it possible for them to do so, breathed a sigh of relief. Those who helped get out the vote and made sure their voices were heard in Philadelphia were jubilant.
As Philadelphians celebrated being a big part of handing Joe Biden the White House, the canvassers who knocked on nearly 600,000 doors in some of Philadelphia's poorest and most disenfranchised communities also celebrated.
Renee Wilson with Unite Here said it was thanks to their work that about 30,000 first-time Black and brown voters from those communities went to the polls.
"Thank you for knowing and recognizing that our ancestors died and they bled, and they were beaten and were hung, for us to have this opportunity to vote," she exhorted. "We took that, and we did something with it, so thank you for using what you got to do what gotta be done."
She said Black lives were on the ballot in Philadelphia.
"We might fall down, but when we get up, we get up, baby!"
Mayor Jim Kenney joined the canvassers on the mall. While he was filled with emotion, he also expressed his desire for unity.
"The thing that we have to do here, is we enjoy ourselves celebrating, but we can't continue this divisiveness. We can't continue this anger and nastiness toward each other. This is one country, we don't agree on everything, but we're all Americans," he said.
He said that while Philadelphia contributed over 550,000 votes to Biden and Harris, the victory belongs to the country. But Kenney also said the country is going to have to do some cleaning up to do once the celebrations subside.
"We have to get the coronavirus under control," said the mayor. "We have to really get that done and get people back to work. And then, we have to talk to each other."
Former Philly mayor — and former Pennsylvania governor — Ed Rendell welcomed the news.
"What America needs right now is a whole lot of goodness," said Rendell.
"Of all the people I've met in politics — and I've met hundreds — Joe Biden is a good, good, very good man. And he's got a good heart, and that's what we need right now."
Other leaders across the Greater Philadelphia area, many of whom spearheaded efforts to get out the vote, reacted as well to the projected win.
"I'm extremely excited for this day," said U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, whose 3rd Congressional District includes the Black voting bloc of Northwest Philadelphia.
"Philadelphians and the Black community never gave up," he said. "They wouldn't quit, and as a result, so goes the Black community, so goes Pennsylvania."
The "get out the vote" effort in Philadelphia and throughout the commonwealth was relentless.
"I mean we sent out a million text messages, we made over 50,000 phone banking calls," said Brittany Small, the Pennsylvania coordinator for the Black Voters Matter Fund.
"We were in Dauphin, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Allegheny County, Erie, and even Beaver County," she recalled. "I'm so proud of my team across the country."
City Councilmember Cherelle Parker held a number of events, focused on getting Black women, HBCU grads and Black greek organizations engaged, and for her, getting to say, Vice President Kamala Harris, comes thanks to the Black women who paved the way.
"Today this is for them," she said through tears.
Sen. Bob Casey tweeted, "Thank you to the people of Pennsylvania. And thank you to so many Black Americans and voters who made the decisive difference."
"This was the powerhouse," said U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, who represents parts of Montgomery, Delaware and Philadelphia counties. She said she's proud of the region that put Biden over the top.
"So many people came out to vote," she said. "We had huge increases in voter turnout in this region."
"I am over the moon," expressed State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who was part of a lawsuit to protect the vote. He's also a millennial, and was part of the push to get younger voters to the polls.
"And now we have an opportunity to start a new chapter of the American dream," he said.
"Anytime you can decide a presidential election, it reminds folks that your votes matter," said David Thornburg, CEO of election watchdog group, the Committee of Seventy. The group launched an effort to educate voters about voting by mail.
Thornburg said the real heroes are the voters, and election workers, who delivered under a great deal of stress.
KYW Newsradio's John McDevitt, Hadas Kuznits, Cherri Gregg, Kristen Johanson and Jay Scott Smith contributed to this report.