New protests in S.F. begin as Newsom says Trump is sending more National Guard troops to L.A.

San Francisco Chronicle​

5 hours ago

Outrage over immigration raids in Los Angeles sparked a second day of protests in San Francisco on Monday, as state and local leaders accused President Donald Trump of stoking fear and violence by deploying federal troops to Southern California.
The demonstrations began late Monday afternoon on the steps of City Hall as Gov. Gavin Newsom said that Trump would deploy another 2,000 members of the California National Guard to Los Angeles, despite the first 2,000 troops being underprepared and underutilized.
'This isn't about public safety. It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego,' Newsom posted on social media. 'This is Reckless. Pointless. And Disrespectful to our troops.'
At San Francisco City Hall, about 200 people gathered on the steps for a rally and press conference opposing Trump's immigration enforcement, including his enactment of a travel ban targeting citizens from mainly African and Middle Eastern countries. One person waved an upside-down American flag, while another held a Pride flag.
Among the speakers were three members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors — Bilal Mahmood, Jackie Fielder and Shamann Walton — who each strongly condemned Trump. Both Mahmood and Walton described the Trump administration as tyrannical, while Mahmood challenged Trump to come after him first before targeting his residents.
'Donald Trump, you are a coward,' Mahmood said. 'You are a wannabe king anchored in hatred.'
Fielder accused Trump of "recklessly" escalating the protests in Los Angeles by deploying the California National Guard and later the Marines.
'It was the National Guard that incited violent protests by arresting peaceful protesters,' Fielder said. 'We have fought this before, and we have to fight it again.'
The demonstration came on the heels of a chaotic altercation in downtown San Francisco on Sunday that resulted in the arrest of 148 adults and six juveniles. The civil unrest spurred Mayor Daniel Lurie and other city officials earlier Monday to urge protesters to demonstrate peacefully, while promising to hold those who commit vandalism or other crimes accountable.
The rally at City Hall was expected to merge with a protest Monday evening at the 24th and Mission BART plaza.
The protests first erupted over the weekend in Los Angeles after federal authorities conducted immigration raids in heavily Latino neighborhoods. Some protesters clashed with local law enforcement, while people vandalized buildings and set vehicles on fire. Local law enforcement deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades on protesters.
The Trump administration deployed National Guard troops, without the request of the governor, in an effort to quell the protests, but Newsom said local law enforcement did not need the help and that the federal government sent them to escalate tensions.
The deployment led to Trump and Newsom trading barbs on Monday. Newsom said the state would sue the administration over the deployment, calling it a 'serious breach of state sovereignty.' Trump said on Monday that Newsom should be arrested, and the government began deploying hundreds of U.S. Marines to Los Angeles.
On Sunday in San Francisco, protesters gathered near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office downtown. The demonstration soon turned into a chaotic standoff between protesters and police that injured two officers, police said. Of the more than 150 arrested, police cited and released all but one of them, a person suspected of aggravated assault.
There was no immediate indication that federal officials also planned to send National Guard troops to San Francisco.
San Francisco's mayor Lurie refrained from attacking Trump at a press conference Monday morning, while stressing the need for protesters to demonstrate peacefully.
Lurie said he understood why people were protesting and criticized the 'tactics being used across the country to target immigrant communities.'
'Those tactics make members of our community less likely to work with law enforcement to report crimes and criminals,' Lurie said. 'They make people afraid to go to work or send their kids to school. That all makes our city less safe.'
Lurie endorsed San Francisco's sanctuary law that limits cooperation between its police and federal immigration enforcement, saying the policy had made immigrant residents of the city more comfortable working with police when necessary. He also said 'everyone in this country has a right to make their voices heard peacefully.'
'But let me also be clear: We will not tolerate violence and destructive behavior, and we will never tolerate violence directed at law enforcement or city workers,' Lurie said. 'Our public servants are there to protect the right to protest and the right to be safe. Violent behavior towards them is unacceptable.'
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she sympathized with immigrant residents who are afraid to go about their daily lives because of the raids being conducted by the Trump administration. She expressed support for peaceful protest but said 'we draw the line when people violate the law.'
Jenkins vowed to prosecute 'those who are committing vandalism, violence and other acts that are criminal' but said it would take time for her office to sort through videos and other evidence gathered by police on Sunday.
Law enforcement leaders are bracing for a potential influx of arrests in the coming days if unrest persists in San Francisco. The sheriff's office prepared its intake and release facility to handle mass arrests 'should the need arise,' Undersheriff Katherine Johnson told reporters. Sheriff's officials can open additional jail units if needed, she said.