"Nobody's heard him called the N-word," Mondesire told reporters. "But there was a lot of venom in those words."
And that, pretty much, was the protest: no signs or visible demonstrations and a few words to reporters.
Earlier, at Broad and Pattison, a small group of dog lovers held up signs protesting Vick, braving the honks and shouts of fans who supported the Eagles' new quarterback. One of their signs read: "My dog hates the Philadelphia Eagles."
Kathleen Liberi, a lifelong South Philadelphia resident and Eagles fan, was one of the protesters.
"I am heartbroken that my team and my city are the ones to sign Michael Vick," she said. "I'm not saying he doesn't deserve a second chance. It's just too soon. I think it's sending the wrong message to kids: Two weeks after confinement he's out on the football field?"
Romy Nocerra, 46, of Center City, said, "Frankly, it's disgusting that this can be glossed over."
She held a sign that read: "Ethics Over Athletics."
Inside the Linc, what mattered was football, and a number of Eagles fans were ready to embrace Vick, who spent 18 months in prison for bankrolling a dog-fighting operation.
There were scattered boos when Vick ran onto the field for his first play, but the cheers were louder.
After that, each time Vick took the field, the fans stood to cheer and applaud.
They screamed even louder after he completed a pass, to Hank Baskett.
"He's part of our team now, and he demands our support," said Bobo Beck, 32, who teaches special education in North Philadelphia.
T'ana Johnson, 24, who wore a Vick jersey, stood and screamed.
"I was kind of nervous to wear my Vick jersey," she said. "I thought somebody might run up at me with red paint."
Like many who wore Vick jerseys yesterday, Johnson said the player deserves a second chance.
"He's already served his time," she said.
