A march against deportations that started peacefully in the Mission District ended in violence and mass arrests late on Monday, when dozens of San Francisco police officers encircled dozens of protesters, tackled several to the ground, and shot pepper-spray rounds at onlookers.
The San Francisco Police Department revealed on Wednesday that 92 people were arrested related to the June 9 ICE protests.
Thousands rallied in the Mission just after 6 p.m., walking and chanting for blocks on end and decrying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As the night wore on, protesters splintered off from the main march, and police said “two small groups” eventually “engaged in vandalism” and “other criminal acts.”
Around 10 p.m., police declared an unlawful assembly at Market Street and Van Ness Avenue for the 80 or so gathered there. Officers soon encircled the two groups, separated on opposite sides of Market Street.
Onlookers shouted “Let them go!” while banging on drums. One whistled “The Internationale.”
At 10:49 p.m., police officers began zip-tying a group of protesters they had encircled at Fell and Market streets when a scuffle broke out.
Officers began tackling protesters to the ground. They pushed onlookers away and shouted “Back up!” A few minutes later, a sergeant fired pepper-spray rounds at an onlooker, and several other officers pointed their long guns.
At least two of those arrested were taken away by ambulance. At least one more was tackled by officers in a separate incident later.
Two student journalists with the University of California, Berkeley’s Daily Californian, who asked to withhold their names, were detained with the group for 30 minutes, despite visibly wearing press credentials. They were released by a sergeant around 10:45 p.m.
The San Francisco Police Department wrote that the splinter groups “refused to comply” with orders. Mayor Daniel Lurie said he had been monitoring the protests, and blamed splinter groups for “acts of violence and destruction.”
The mass protest was the fourth in two days in San Francisco, after at least 20 people were arrested by ICE last week.
On Sunday, SFPD arrested 154 people, including six juveniles, bringing their two-day total of arrests following the ICE protests to more than 200.
Protest started peacefully in the Mission
Earlier that night, marchers had gathered at 6 p.m. at 24th and Mission streets, chanting “Move, ICE, get out the Bay!” and, in Spanish, “Trump, escucha, estamos en la lucha:” Trump, listen, we’re in this fight.
The crowd heard speeches from activists and Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who represents the district.
Fielder criticized Sunday night’s police response against anti-ICE protesters downtown.
“We do not send riot police on unarmed protesters,” Fielder said. “SFPD should not be doing Trump’s work for him.”
Lurie defended the police response then, too, saying the protesters were “violent” and pointing to vandalism of Muni vehicles and downtown storefronts, plus two officers who suffered minor injuries.
Protesters took note of Lurie’s words, chanting in Spanish, “Lurie, escucha, estamos en la lucha!” Lurie, listen, we’re in this fight.
Around 7:40 p.m., the march continued south on Valencia Street. A group of protesters gathered at the intersection of 17th and Valencia streets, where the Mission police station is located. At least 50 SFPD officers stood behind a metal barrier in front of the station.
For a few minutes before the small crowd dissipated, a few people shouted at the stoic officers. When they shook the barricades, police approached with guns with less-lethal rounds drawn. Others silently faced off with the officers.
Protesters walked around the Mission for two hours, ending back at the intersection of 24th and Mission streets with a call from organizers to be safe and responsible.
“You can’t act a fool,“ one said. “There are new people here; they’re learning.”
By nightfall, the McDonalds on the corner of 24th and Mission Streets was covered in graffiti. A couple of protesters guarded the exterior from those wanting to tag it, yelling, “Don’t tag the Mission!”
“Go to the Richmond. Go to the Presidio,” someone in the crowd said. “Do it where they have money to rebuild shit.”
This article was updated on June 11 with the total number of arrests from the protests.
I’m worried about the framing of this article and others like it in national outlets.
To support the movement, the main headline should be, “Mass Peaceful Protests Against a Growing Police State.” The main pictures should be of the protests, not the police. The arrests should be secondary, especially as they constitute such a tiny slice of the protest activity.
And we need the SF Police on our side. We should be using them to protect people against ICE.
I cannot emphasize enough how badly this situation was handled by SFPD. SFPD held the group at Market and Fell for well over an hour, which was enough time for a large additional crowd to gather. The original small group was clearly more than ready to pack it up and go home (they were so non-threatening that even the police standing closest to them didn’t even bother putting their face shields down), but instead of diffusing the situation, de-escalating, and keeping the peace, SFPD created a volatile and dangerous situation by delaying while crowds formed on both sides of police lines, wildly disrupted our neighborhood, and surely ran up an eye-watering overtime bill. Not to mention that these unnecessary arrests, in lieu of simply sending everybody home, continue to escalate the situation in ways that make all of us less safe.
Sigh. Signs calling for trans rights, to get rid of driverless cars, against billionaires, Palestinian flags, and then vandalizing a McDonald’s. Can an important movement about immigrants that has a lot of public support really go off the rails so quickly? It’s as if they made a conscious decision to alienate every member of the public with at least one of the many random messages. If you protest everything, people only hear the one part that offends them.
God forbid people stand up for more than one marginalized group. If seeing a trans pride flag at a protest like this pushes you away from standing up against fascism you were simply just looking for an excuse.
Protests that combine every issue into one clearly lack a theory of change. How does your omni-protest result in any consequential policy difference, or is it just an evening activity like going bowling?
You’re clearly not arguing in good faith, but I recommend you (and anyone else reading this comment) educate yourself on the history of intersectional solidarity in protest movements. The Bay Area has a proud history of oppressed people standing up for one another. Just look at how Yellow Peril, the Black Panthers, AIM and the Brown Berets worked together in the 60s to fight institutional racism and the Vietnam war. Protest movements are more effective the more voices join in.
Those are all great examples of extremely ineffective movements. They did not bring about any meaningful benefits but did greatly contribute to Nixon’s election in 1968 as a “law and order” president and subsequent landslide victory in 1972. Occupy Wall Street is a more recent example of a large movement that had some initial support but which quickly devolved into an undisciplined horde with dozens of different pet complaints and no coherent message. And no beneficial impact whatsoever. By contrast, the civil rights movement from the mid-1950s to mid-1960s was peaceful (in the face of violent police reactions), very disciplined, stayed on message, and this moved public opinion 180 degrees, resulting in the civil rights act and voting rights act (still work to do, but the progress was amazing). That’s the approach that works. Those who prefer to cosplay as some fictional freedom fighter may give themselves a pat on the back but that’s about all that comes of it.
Good thing you’re not conflating unrelated issues for effect.
100% Agree. Also, if you want to rally for the right be immigrants in the US, maybe try waving American rather than foreign flags
What do you even know about America if you’re worshiping that flag blindly?
“Go to the Richmond. Go to the Presidio,” someone in the crowd said. “Do it where they have money to rebuild shit.”
Dumbass “advice”. Vandalism only fuels the administration’s desired narrative.
Correct. But they see those other districts as unaffected. Half true.
Fabulous story and photos – really captures the thrill of this rally and march. I was there and it was intense, as it should be given the cruel war on our people, but there was no violence until the police intervened, as usual. That feels like a set up by DA Jenkins and other right wing forces to criminalize these protests.
overtime
2,000? It was much closer to 10,000 people… That was one of the largest and most powerful mobilizations in the Mission in a long time. As others pointed out, the 6PM rally and march were separate from the isolated incident at Market St w/ arrests- seems disingenuous to group them and use that for the headline, photo, and entire first half.
The people of the Mission were pouring out, coming out from balconies and stoops, to join in this popular movement. They clearly feel safe and identify with it, unlike the fringe narrative that most media have pushed, including this piece.
As one police officer said after the election “more than 90% of SFPD voted for trum”p..guess what? they are very happy to see trouble. And for the people who come just for vandalism/graffiti/looting, , etc, you are just doing exactly what this administration is looking for; it looks like you are getting paid to do that work since it is obviously counter productive. Stop mixing every issue in the protest: this is about immigration…if you want regular/average people to understand and join, stop screaming stuff like “people of the world united” etc. and burn Waymos….every graffiti is adding one more vote for this appalling administration at the next election..if there is one.
Dozens arrested in Los Angeles.
Hundreds arrested in San Francisco.
hmm…
I came out of the Alamo theater on Mission at about 9:30. A gang of people was marching, chanting “Free, free Palestine.” I didn’t see anyone who cares about immigrants here. It was just another chance for Hamas groupies to gather.
Fortunately last night they didn’t set anyone on fire.
Manny’s was vandalized AGAIN and this time with violent death threats. They didn’t just go after Manny’s. They also vandalized Chase Bank on 14th and probably other spots too.
Where the Hell is the outrage? Where is Jackie Fielder when constituents in her own district are being uniquely and psychopathically singled out with anti-Semitic hate? Enough is enough of this crap!
Nobody actually threatened Manny’s life. Chase bank isn’t a synogogue.
Good! For too long protesters/rioters have brought terror and destruction to our streets. Enough is enough. More arrests please! And then some hard sentences and big fines.
And while we’re at it let’s stop the hypocrisy. Anybody here illegally has no right to be here. Period. Stop blaming ICE & SFPD for enforcing the law. Don’t like the law? Then work to change it. Knowingly breaking the law then claiming victimhood is not legit.
Elon Musk committed educational visa fraud. He didn’t attend.
You want to deport Elon then? SPEAK UP
Fielder doesn’t seem to understand the situation very well. She says that police should not be deployed because the protesters are unarmed and, bizarrely, claims the police are doing ICE’s work (huh?). Of course, as everyone understands, these “peaceful” protests often devolve in vandalism and arson (as happened last night to some extent). That behavior IS violence, is NOT protected expression and is completely unacceptable. It is unfortunate that Fielder apparently doesn’t care about the small businesses and residents of the Mission District who are hurt by protesters’ violent and illegal actions. But Fielder has always shown that her primary interest is posturing about political issues than focusing on the issues that matter to the district.
Sad that the powerful message from the huge peaceful protest in the Mission is completely and utterly wiped out by the small number of loser vandals and taggers who use these events as cover for their own evil deeds. Guess what images the general public will remember? Progressives’ ability to self sabotage is a significant factor in their ongoing failure to achieve anything
You are personally blaming all progressives for what you see as x individual’s works.
Noted.
Thank you Jackie Fielder & Mission Local for your courage while Mayor Lurie sides with violent police against the residents of his own city.
See Newsom ?
Best interview I’ve ever seen him do last night from the State Emergency Center.
His advisers and speech writers are much better than Lurie’s.
I loved it when he called on Tom Homan to arrest him as threatened.
Homan backed down.
In fact, Trump who recognizes a fellow billionaire mouthpiece called our Governor a “nice guy” who is simply wrong on the issue.
Most restraint I’ve seen the Trumpster show with anyone.
Hell, Gavin had my “Peace abiding feet go marching with the marching street.”
I do one man demonstrations these last few years.
Three to four hundred miles total.
For 100 days.
Carrying my candidate or issue’s sign shopping and on my daily workout.
And, $25 monthly recurring donation til November 4th.
go Niners !!
h.