The Gbus minus window. pic.twitter.com/qfMnzFgiLf
— Craig Frost (@craigsfrost) December 20, 2013
In another display of ire directed toward vehicles that haul Google employees to and from work, a smattering of protesters blocked the GBus from moving Friday morning. Said protesters have even allegedly resorted to damaging the buses.
Today's initial protest began at 24th and Valencia at around 9 a.m. where residents angry at the tech industry blocked the bus and carried signs reading "Get off the bus and join us!" and "Eviction Free San Francisco." As many of you know, the Bay Area is undergoing a brutal eviction crisis, with San Francisco feeling the brunt of it. Mission District Supervisor David Campos introduced anti-eviction legislation earlier this year, which would provide "incentives against the Ellis Act" to landlords. These google buses — which, in all fairness, do combat the impact the workforce has on local sustainability, as well as the release of CO2 and other emissions — have become a symbol of the gentrification and economic disparity many denizens feel has taken over their city.
As Mission Local reports, the other dustup was "at MacArthur BART station and in West Oakland at 7th and Adeline." Craig Frost, who was inside the Oakland bus that was physically damaged, tweets, "My Gbus got hit by protesters in Oakland and they broke a window." While Google software engineer Joel Weinberger (rather adroitly) points out, "I assume all the #googlebus protesters tweeting 'get out of the Bay, techies' see the irony of doing so on Twitter?"
Here are just a few reports and images of what went down today:
My Gbus got hit by protesters in Oakland and they broke a window. pic.twitter.com/VGCyhBLgyd
— Craig Frost (@craigsfrost) December 20, 2013
Also, international media is here Reuters, Al Jazeera among others for #techbus protest on 24 @MLNow
— Dan Hirsch (@danieljayhirsch) December 20, 2013
Driver and front seat riders laughing, smiling. Enjoying the spectacle? @MLNow #techbus pic.twitter.com/Auc3ldtKD3
— Courtney Quirin (@caquirin) December 20, 2013
#googlebus successfully blockaded at MacArthur Bart pic.twitter.com/3c0PCY5OWf
— The Red Son (@revscript) December 20, 2013
Over at Google bus stop on Hayes/Steiner, chronic anti-Google graffiti: "Smile, you're the new face of fascism" pic.twitter.com/j7q2q83cYl
— Ellen Huet (@ellenhuet) December 20, 2013
This situation is getting more and more complicated - @google bus hijacked again in housing crisis protest pic.twitter.com/eloeUvrafV
— Ken Ken Ramen (@KenKenRamen) December 20, 2013
Group standing outside MacArthur BART with a small "Go Google Yourself" sign. Shuttle bus protests moving east?
— Eric Fischer (@enf) December 20, 2013
This morning's protests follow a similar incident last week in the Mission District, which played host to a fake Google employee doing "political theater."