President Trump’s next city on his unsubstantiated hit-list is none other than the one I’ve called home for decades.
UPDATE: The Frump administration has dispatched more than 100 federal agents to Coast Guard bade in Alameda.
From what I am hearing among my community, it could actually happen this weekend. There will likely be some show of force — even if it’s armed guardspeople driving through the City to get some attention and stir shit up. California Governor Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced yesterday that California will immediately sue the Trump Administration if it illegally sends the National Guard into San Francisco.
Mayor Daniel Lurie has stated he’d also put up stopping blocks, announcing that “[San Francisco] will always protect the people and the values that make San Francisco the greatest City in the world.” He continued: “That means welcoming people in our City and standing up for every member of our community and for the longstanding policies that have kept our communities safe. As your Mayor, that has been and always will be my north star.”
But the question everyone is asking the Mayor, for which there seems to be little response: What’s the plan for when this happens?
District Supervisor Jackie Fielder said the following in an earlier SF Board of Supervisors’ meeting this week: “Thank you to all my colleagues on the Board for supporting my motion, which passed 10-0, to ask this timely question of our Mayor. And thank you all for the support.”
I appreciate that the Mayor has a standing policy committee meeting with the City Attorney and law enforcement, but the moment demands much more. I hope he can urgently address:
How the department under his leadership will communicate Know-Your-Rights information to our immigrant community. Support children whose parents might be detained or deported
Continue to guarantee that all San Franciscans have access to necessities such as education, healthcare, groceries, and transportation, should Trump decide to send federal forces to San Francisco.
While this is happening, it’s essential to understand what local and state authorities say about what the National Guard can and cannot do, and how we can better protect ourselves. We have already seen what the National Guard is doing in other cities across America, and we should understand what it can mean for all of us who call San Francisco home.
The National Guard does not have the authority to arrest individuals, according to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), and the department is adamant about protecting San Franciscans who are protesting peacefully. Meanwhile, SF District Attorney Jenkins says she will not tolerate excessive force by the National Guard and that such conduct could result in legal consequences.
If demonstrations do get violent, the SFPD will take matters into their own hands to protect the City of San Francisco — even if that means arresting “violent” protesters. Like me, many of my friends are furious at the thought of the National Guard arriving. However, violence is never the answer.’
In contrast to demonstrations of violence, this past weekend’s peaceful No Kings protests drew millions of people across the country; it has since become the largest single-day mobilization against a president in modern history. Tim Redmond over at 48Hills says that protesting the president is not enough; we need to demand that elected officials address economic inequality at every level—including here at home.
My inspiring, well-seasoned friend, AIDS and LGBTQ rights activist Cleve Jones, spoke at the rally here in San Francisco and delivered the speech “This is Our Country“. His words are powerful and full of the fire and fight we should all be feeling: “It was the perfect speech for the day, drawing on the way that so many people in their signs and costumes, their flags and messages, asserted that we are America, we are patriotic, we are the majority, we who believe in justice, universal human rights, equality, truth and accountability, in protecting the vulnerable and welcoming the stranger, we who are living out this country’s old motto e pluribus unum: in many one.”
What can you do if the National Guard comes to San Francisco? Indivisible SF is putting together an action plan to mobilize if the federal troops mobilize in the Bay Area or if ICE actions escalate. Follow the rapid response plan, led by Bay Resistance and adopted by many local organizations, including Indivisible SF, which will take action.
Be Safe. Be Proud. Be Heard… And always snatch wigs when bitches aren’t coming correct.
Feature image: Courtesy of sf.gov
Juanita MORE! is a denizen of the limelight. For almost three decades, the laudable hostess has blitzed San Francisco with high glamour, drag irreverence, and danceable beats that have illuminated the entire city. MORE! continues to be a heaping dollop of generosity and a sprinkle of nerve. She inspires those around her to make positive differences in their lives and communities — and doing it all with timeless elegance and an innovative spirit. Most recently, after her reign, Miss MORE! holds the title of Absolute Empress 56 of the Imperial Council of San Francisco –– one of the oldest non-profit organizations globally.
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