Supervisor apologizes for flipping bird at harasser
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton apologized for giving the middle finger to a person who he said “harassed and threatened” him at a rally for Tyre Nichols last week.
“This action from Supervisor Walton, as a result of continued harassment from this person, was wrong,” his office said in a statement Wednesday.
The statement did not name the person involved in the incident, but said they were known to Walton and had repeatedly “harassed and stalked” him outside City Hall. The supervisor said he does not plan to press charges against the person.
“Due to Supervisor Walton’s history of fighting for justice reform, he will not be pressing charges on this individual, who has a pending case, nor will he seek a restraining order on this individual as recommended,” according to the statement. San Francisco police did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether they were investigating the claims of stalking and harassment.
Walton apologized for “letting his guard down” during the rally.
According to the supervisor’s office, the Feb. 1 incident began when the person stole a bullhorn, approached Walton and threatened him “in an attempt to incite violence amongst the crowd during the rally” for Nichols, according to the statement. Nichols, a Black man, was beaten to death by Memphis police officers, setting off a nationwide wave of protests after police released body camera footage of the beating.
“This individual has a history of attacking Supervisor Walton, as well as other community members in San Francisco,” the statement said. “After repeated attacks from this individual, Supervisor Walton raised his finger and flicked him off.”
Walton said his reaction was prompted by an uptick in harassment due to his proposed reparations plan.
The supervisor said he and his staff had faced an onslaught of death threats, harassment and threatening messages in recent weeks following the release of a proposed reparations plan, which would pay $5 million to each eligible Black San Franciscan, among other suggestions. Walton wrote the legislation that created the city’s reparations advisory committee two years ago.
In December, the committee gave city officials a draft reparations proposal with recommendations on addressing historical wrongs related to housing, education and economics.
Walton, his staff and interns have received “threatening” calls from residents in the Bay Area and across the country, his office said.
“Some are fearful for their own lives,” according to the statement.
The supervisor urged San Francisco residents to “stand up to all these recent racist comments towards the Black community.”