Lowriders, Cops Face Off at SF Mission Hunger Strike
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On Sunday, a group of some 20 lowriders gave an impromptu visit to the Mission District hunger strikers — known as as the Frisco Five — who have been camped out in front of the Mission District police station for 12 days to call for the firing of the city’s police chief.
The lowriders shut down Valencia Street for some five minutes before police officers threatened citations, causing drivers to leave the area.
“I don’t have money for this ticket,” said one lowrider driver. “But maybe I do if it’s for a cause.”
The lowriders — coming from an earlier show at John O’Connell High School — crowded both sides of Valencia Street with their muscle cars and formed a narrow sliver for vehicular traffic, while some supporters of the hunger strike attempted to guide cars through the blockade.
Within moments, some dozen police officers exited the station and told drivers to leave or face a ticket.
“They are parking illegally and obstructing the street,” said one officer. “We are not trying to hassle them and respect the right to protest. But the lowriders can’t be here, I’m sure you understand.”
The police fanned out into the street and caused the drivers to quickly disappear, though hunger strikers confronted officers. They asked that officers tell Mayor Lee about the strike and the demand to fire Chief Suhr.
“I have no place in telling the mayor anything, sir,” responded the officer. “We are not here because of that, we’re here because the flow of traffic was impeded.”
“We controlled the traffic probably better than you guys,” retorted one supporter, as others shouted “Who are you protecting?” before dispersing.
I grew up in the Mission, went to School of the Arts high school for creative writing. Bounced around colleges from SFState, to CCSF, to CCA where I graduated with a degree in photography.
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Joe was born in Sweden, where half of his family received asylum after fleeing Pinochet, and then spent his early childhood in Chile; he moved to Oakland when he was eight. He attended Stanford University for political science and worked at Mission Local as a reporter after graduating. He then spent time at YIMBY Action and as a partner for the strategic communications firm The Worker Agency. He rejoined Mission Local as an editor in 2023. You can reach him on Signal @jrivanob.99.
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