A star-studded fundraiser for Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton scheduled for this afternoon in San Francisco won't be without detractors, it seems, as over a thousand of her competition's supporters are expected at a sure-to-be ear-busting protest outside the venue.
We told you about the fundraiser a couple weeks ago — it's at the glitzy Nob Hill home of venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, and is hosted by human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and her husband, who is most notable for being the ex-boyfriend of Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the soon-to-be first lady of California. Oh, yeah, and Hillary Clinton will be there, too.
According to an email sent by Socialist Alternative, attendees at tonight's dinner should expect more than anecdotes from the set of From Dusk Till Dawn, as supporters of Bernie Sanders "will stage a Cacerolazo/Pot & Pan Protest and a #DineWithThe99 potluck" outside the 1266 Washington Street venue.
If you're not a protester, it's probably best to avoid that stretch of Washington this afternoon, as the protest begins at 5 pm., well in advance of the 7 p.m. dinner. According to the Sanders fans, lots of people will be there to demonstrate against the event, as per their hashtag-laden email "There has been a tremendous response" to the call to protest, with "up to 1600 people" participating in a "Cacerolazo" aka a "pot and pan protest reception" for the guests of the event.
Dismayed by the fundraiser's effort to raise funds, the Bernie boosters write that "ordinary [SF] citizens are appalled by the open bribery that will take place on Friday night," given SF's "massive economic inequality, an out-of-control housing crisis, regular instances of lethal police brutality and a systematic campaign by Mayor Ed Lee to eradicate the homeless population."
While on CNN last month, Sanders was similarly disgusted by the $33,400-$353,400 tickets for the event, saying that “It is obscene that Secretary Clinton keeps going to big money people to fund her campaign...But it's not only this Clooney event, it is the fact that she has now raised well over $15 million from Wall Street for her super PAC and millions more from the fossil fuel industry and from the drug companies."
For his part, Uber-investor Pishevar tells the Guardian that he "welcomed" the demonstration, saying "Only in America would an Iranian-born immigrant son of a taxi driver and maid trying to help elect our first woman president be protested at his home."
"I welcome nonviolent protests as an exercise of our great democracy."
Previously: SF Dinner With Hillary Clinton And George & Amal Clooney Costs $353K