Protesters against police presence block Pride Parade
Protesters brought the San Francisco Pride Parade to a halt shortly after it started Sunday morning, lying down in Market Street at Sixth Street and chanting “F— the police!” and “Pride was a riot” as dozens of police officers tried to restore order.
The parade was halted for about 50 minutes until 12:01 pm, when the protesters agreed to leave, police said.
The group of protesters — with arms linked and demanding there be no police or corporations at the event — displayed a banner that read “Queer and Trans against Kops and Korps” as police pushed to get them out of the way of the parade.
“All simultaneously, they whipped out their batons,” said parade spectator Lena Soriano.
Police said in a statement that protesters broke down barricades and threw water bottles at them.
The members of Abolish ICE SF handed out a letter of demands calling for SF Pride to exclude police and pointing out the hypocrisy they see in inviting police to celebrate the anniversary of a clash with cops.
“Too many years San Francisco Pride has chosen to ignore the asks for a safer pride free from police,” the letter said. “They care more about pleasing corporate interests and hosting a massive party than listening to LGBTQ2S communities and keeping them safe.”
Police arrested Taryn Saldivar, 21, of Oakland and Kenneth Bilecki, 27, of Santa Rosa on charges of resisting arrest and interfering with a parade route. Saldivar was also charged with battery on a police officer, police said, noting that one officer was treated at the scene for a nonlifethreatening injury.
As police drove the two protesters away in a van, the crowd chanted “Shame!” and “Let them go!”