Scene on Mission Street. Photo by Laura Wenus

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott defended arresting 23 protesters on Mission Street at around 10:50 p.m. Wednesday, telling the Board of Supervisors at a Thursday meeting that officers believed “somebody in that crowd had the propensity to light fires at the end of the night.” 

The arrests came at the conclusion of a day that saw more than 10,000 people march through the city on Wednesday in a peaceful protest that began in the Mission and was organized by youth on Instagram. 

The late-night incident was captured by this reporter. It started as a phalanx of dozens of officers closed in on the small group of protesters who were walking north on Mission Street. With batons in hand, the officers surrounded the protesters for some 35 minutes, and eventually restrained them with zip-ties and arrested them. They were eventually cited for violating the curfew and then released, Scott told the supervisors today. 

Although the chief said officers believed protesters possessed so-called “accelerants,” such as lighter fluid, no accelerants were “seized or booked as evidence,” according to police spokesman Sgt. Michael Andraychak. Indeed, no one was cited with crimes other than violating the curfew. 

The scene Wednesday night was surreal. Dozens of officers swarmed the group of protesters, one line charging from 20th on Mission and the other charging from 21st on Mission, eventually surrounding them and telling them to, “Get on the ground!” 

As a reporter for Mission Local, I prominently showed a press badge issued by the SFPD. 

One officer said, “I know you’re press, but you’ve got to move back.” 

As I attempted to do this, other officers instead forced me into the group being detained. Officers circled in and remained at the ready, with one officer pointing a less-lethal projectile weapon* at the group. 

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The circle of officers with batons tightened around the group of people lying prone on the ground for over 35 minutes. Protesters asked if they could go home peacefully. Instead, they were zip-tied and loaded into a wagon.  

As the protesters were being transported to an undisclosed location, this reporter was allowed to leave, after being restricted from doing so for 35 minutes — but only after an editor of our paper reached out to Capt. Gaetano Caltagirone, who was on the scene and overseeing the mass arrest.  

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On Thursday via email, Andraychak declined to say where the 23 were transported. “For security reasons, we do not release the location,” he said. Among those arrested was a 14-year-old boy, whom Scott said on Thursday was transported to a police station and released to a “responsible party.” 

“But I want to reiterate the reason that that decision was made,” Scott said. “It was because we believe that the destruction and danger of fires being lit was imminent.” 

He offered no evidence that they had confiscated lighting fluid or any accelerant from the protesters. 

Members of the board grilled the chief on what appeared to be a heavy-handed approach to the small band of protesters, who repeatedly begged police officers to let them go home. It’s unclear why they kept this reporter detained. 

“When we start detaining journalists, that goes into the realm of an authoritarian police state,” said Supervisor Matt Haney, asking Scott about the specific policy — especially as it related to a curfew that ended at 5 a.m. Thursday morning. 

Should police chef Bill Scott apologize to the black community?
Chief Bill Scott.

In what he described as a “tactical situation,” Scott called dealing with journalists “complicated.” He said in a “dangerous situation” where police are trying to control a “dangerous individual,” it could “be dangerous for everybody to be distracted from that.” 

“The last thing you want is somebody right behind you, journalist or not, as a distraction.” 

Scott said he wanted to open dialogues and communicate better with journalists. “We’ve already had some understanding about how we can work together in these situations,” he said. 

Yet, earlier in the day, Mission Local received no direct communication from the chief. An informal apology came only from Sgt. Andraychak, the spokesman, late on Wednesday. After the chief spoke of building better communication with news outlets during the meeting, Andraychak relayed an offer from the chief to review body-camera footage of the incident, which we accepted.

This reporter also testified at the meeting, offering the account written above. 

Ronen, who invited Mission Local to speak, called the incident “concerning,” noting that she reached out to Scott and Capt. Caltagirone.  

Underlying many of the supes’ concerns was the curfew Mayor London Breed imposed on Sunday morning following looting downtown. “It’s very concerning to think that the law could have allowed us to arrest people just for being out there at that time when obviously [peaceful protest] is something that we should be promoting,” Haney said.

Supervisor Dean Preston said that San Francisco should be proud of the participation of the thousands of people who marched. 

“While we are all celebrating the extent of the participation,” he said. “I think we also need to recognize that the curfew does discourage people from going out and exercising their rights, particularly those who don’t want to risk arrest.” 

Following board the meeting on Thursday, District Attorney Chesa Boudin highlighted the incident on Twitter. He pledged: “We will not prosecute peaceful protest.”

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*Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that an officer pointed a tear gas gun at the Mission Local reporter and the group of protesters. It was not a tear gas gun. It was an extended range impact weapon “launcher used to deploy 40mm foam batons,” according to Andraychak.  

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Julian grew up in the East Bay and moved to San Francisco in 2014. Before joining Mission Local, he wrote for the East Bay Express, the SF Bay Guardian, and the San Francisco Business Times.

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21 Comments

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    1. Hi there.

      This is our website, and we are under no obligation to print your comment. This could be because it’s racist, stupid, libelous, inaccurate, inane, incoherent, has no redeeming value — or just because it’s *our website* and we can print or not print what we like.

      Have fun somewhere else,

      JE

  1. Scott is a lying coward. Hes given in whatever dignity and integrity he’s had to link arms with the profoundly authoritarian and anti-black mentality of the POA. Shame on you Scott. You should be fired like your boot-licking predecessor. This city has had more than enough from people like you and your Neanderthal buddies in the POA. Sandra Fewer is right: “Fuck the POA”. and that goes double for clowning poser like “Chief” Scott. Not only do you insult the citizens of this city who pay your salary. By defending the POA you contribute to the degradation and distrust of the SFPD. Be gone!!!!

  2. I thought the idea of a protest was to raise awareness? Am I wrong? A protest late at night(after 10pm) when everyone is in bed doesn’t seem to raise awareness anymore. It comes off as people just wanting to wreak havoc and cause fear.

  3. There is something missing from this article and, apparently, the discussion around this incident – the person who ordered the curfew in the first place, Mayor London Breed. Where is she in all this?

  4. I live at 24th and mission. When I heard the protester group go by I went to my roof to look. They were walking down a mostly empty mission street throwing garbage cans in the street, nicking over things, pushing signs down, etc (all cleaned up promptly after by people standing around or waiting for busses. All for the protests, I was there myself that day, but there is NO Need to cause havoc in the streets where people live, run businesses, and even live on the streets.

  5. Did they mention that they dropped off a group of kids in China Basin at 3am and made them walk home?! How do I know this? Because my step sons friend was one of the kids! Fuck SFPD

  6. Julian, what were the 23 protestors still doing roaming around the Mission late at night and hours after the rest of the protest march ended? If you were with them could you also report on their purpose, demeanor, mood, etc.?

    1. also, please do comment on what their rational/logic was for being in violation of the curfew order.

  7. Marc,

    Never wudda thought I’d see you defending racist/homophobic/sexist
    cops who are interfering with the press.

    Sometimes I think you’re just an old fashioned contrarian who doesn’t
    really care what the topic is.

    You’re just in it for the argument.

    As I told you once in a room full of people:

    “You could shut Marc up alone in a room and in a half hour he’d
    be in a heated argument with himself.”

    I’ve always enjoyed that about you.

    There is only one sin I will not overlook …

    Don’t bore me.

    Go Giants!

    h.

  8. Interfere with police, defund police. You will get a lot of private security that isn’t bothered by liberal activists spouting off at every little thing. Eventually you’ll get posses. Try beating them down with liberal talking points.

    1. Marc,

      Never wudda thought I’d see you defending racist/homophobic/sexist
      cops who are interfering with the press.

      Sometimes I think you’re just an old fashioned contrarian who doesn’t
      really care what the topic is.

      You’re just in it for the argument.

      As I told you once in a room full of people:

      “You could shut Marc up alone in a room and in a half hour he’d
      be in a heated argument with himself.”

      I’ve always enjoyed that about you.

      There is only one sin I will not overlook …

      Don’t bore me.

      Go Giants!

      h.

    2. My Twitter feed is filled with supposed peace officers beating, gassing, and firing rubber bullets at peaceful protestors, including reporters, healthcare workers after a shift, and even the elderly. Not any different from your scenario. I’m sorry you’re not on the side of American civilians and the Constitution.

    3. Frankly this comment is despicable. I support police 100%, I think it’s awful that police are dealing with threats of violence, and I’m fully cognizant that they don’t have any easy job right now. I absolutely detest our DA and what he has done to our city. But there is UNEQUIVOCALLY, NEVER ANY GROUNDS FOR INTERFERING WITH FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.