Diners and bar-goers along the Valencia street corridor found themselves interrupted tonight by protesters with megaphones, banners and signs speaking against the killing of black men by police around the nation. Organizers from Party Patrol, a predominantly queer and transgender activist group, arranged for the disruptions in solidarity with the Anti Police Terror Project. Their goal? To call attention to what they called the violence and racism of gentrification as part of the 96 hours of action to commemorate and “reclaim” Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“There’s so much good stuff happening,” said organizer Lex Young in reference to the movement around the country known as ReclaimMLK.
Nonetheless, Young emphasized that Party Patrol and the activists it had gathered had the intention of focusing on the violence of gentrification in support of the larger movement about racism in police violence.
“I would not presume as a white person to reclaim MLK,” Young said.
She said she and other activists present tonight either live in San Francisco or have been pushed out themselves, and understand that it particularly affects marginalized groups and minorities.
The protesters, their numbers fluctuating between 30 and 60, split into four groups, each of which targeted a predetermined list of restaurants or bars. There, they announced their message through a megaphone: Police enforcement of gentrification is racist and violent. They referenced the construction of new prisons concurrently with the construction of a luxury building on 16th and Valencia, as well as the effort to “clean up the plaza” on 16th street, as harmful programs that target the poor and minorities.
“You all know about Ferguson. But do you know about San Francisco?” the protesters asked patrons at restaurants and police at Mission Station.
After making their way around Mission and Valencia streets between 16th and 18th a few times in a few different groups, protesters concluded their action for the evening at the 16th street BART plaza.
Overall, said Young, the night had been positive.
Indeed, some passerby who watched the protest joined its ranks as it moved down Mission street.
Some locations, however, were not as receptive. Inside Urchin on Valencia streets, a heated argument broke out when a staff member grabbed a protester’s megaphone. A small scuffle, raised voices and some pushing ensued; outside, a shouting match developed between a protester and a diner.
At Range, one organizer reported, tensions also mounted quickly, culminating in activists being shoved out the door and even allegedly thrown into the alley. After the march left Mission Station, one local resident yelled out his window that the protesters ought to support police, calling them “young punks.”
The protest ended at the BART plaza with some final chants and some cheers.
Read on for our live-updated version of events, published as they unfolded, with more details:
8:30 p.m.
The Party Patrol, an autonomous activist group, gathered some 35 people at Dolores Park promising “interventions into gentrified Valencia nightlife” as it breaks into four groups to visit Valencia restaurants and bars.
Photo by Laura Wenus
The flyer the group is handing out advises that if conflict arises between someone in the group and a patron “please help de-escalate the situation. We’re here to share info and invite patrons to join the movement.”
It appears that the plan is to end up at a rally at 16th and Mission Streets.
“We want to draw attention to the connection between police violence and gentrification,”said Sophie Tagebieb.
The group – diverse in age if not race – is organizing actions in solidarity with those who disrupted BART service this morning as part of the ReclaimMLK protests organizing “96 Hours of Resistance.”
“Welcome to the 16th of 96 hours,” a protesters proclaimed as the group prepared to head out in smaller cohorts – each one with someone appointed to read a script into a megaphone, someone to direct the group, and someone to deescalate any situation that gets confrontational.
9:23 pm.
The group is now at Farina.
“Before we go,” a protester asks, “I want you to tell me, do black lives matter?”
#ReclaimMLK protesters interrupt dinner at Farina, demanding to know if diners think black lives matter pic.twitter.com/dhy7c2Qaed
— Mission Local (@MLNow) January 17, 2015
9:39 p.m. Bar Tartine
“BANG!” Protesters shout at Bar Tartine. Several groups making the rounds thru Mission restaurants for #ReclaimMLK pic.twitter.com/jswDd8kuGc — Mission Local (@MLNow) January 17, 2015
When diners are asked at Bar Tartine whether black lives matter, one smiles and answers with a definitive “Yes!”
Others in the restaurant look at their phones and try to ignore the group of about 15. As the protesters leave, they chant, “I believe that we will win.”
At each place they enter, the protesters shout BANG six times in reference to the six times Michael Brown was shot by police. They then unfurl a banner saying “racist police enforce gentrification,” give a short speech and end by asking diners if black lives matter.
9: 40 p.m.
Four police cruisers have now arrived on the scene as the protesters move onto Urchin Bistro.
Outside the restaurant on Valencia a yelling match ensues while inside there is shouting and pushing as someone shouts “Black lives more than your linguine!” It appears that one of the protesters got into an argument with someone on the wait staff, but it’s unclear why.
9:53 p.m.
The small group is now marching north toward 16th and Mission Streets.
10:12 p.m.
Eaters at Curry Up applaud a different splinter group of protesters. There seems all around support at this stop. Diners at outdoor seating smile and nod and cheer on the protesters
As the protesters head toward 16th and Mission Street, two young men walking in the opposite direction turn around to join them.
10:35 at the BART Plaza at 16th and Mission Streets
Most of the protesters, now 50 or so, arrive back at the BART Station.
10: 46 p.m.
The large group has returned to Valencia, chanting “Black Lives Matter More than Your Dinner.”
Protesters stream down Valencia street, blocking traffic in the southbound lane for about half a block as they move toward Mission Station.
10:53 p.m.
The group is staying in front of the Mission District Police Station asking police, “Who do you protect and serve?” Protesters have dwindled to half.
11:08 p.m.
It’s back again to the 16th Street BART Station and ends with the “I believe we can win” chant.
Good night.