Following the hospitalization Friday of the hunger strikers now known as the Frisco 5, a call went out on IndyBay to their supporters, whom some are calling the Frisco 500, for a vigil and rally at UN Plaza between 3 and 5 p.m. to "gather in a peaceful loving show of support and solidarity" for the strikers. As you can see in the video above from CBS 5, the group eventually made their way to City Hall where staged a sit-in after business hours, and clashed with sheriff's deputies who attempted to close and lock the doors of the building at 5 p.m.
#Frisco5 supporters chanting "Shut it down!" at #sf city hall #hungerforjusticesf pic.twitter.com/Tcl6g3yUDW
— Joe Rivano Barros (@jrivanob) May 6, 2016
Protestors clashed with SF Sheriffs as they occupied City Hall tonight in support of #Frisco5 #hungerforjusticesf pic.twitter.com/0KyoHGXVUr
— Joel Angel Juárez (@jajuarezphoto) May 7, 2016
As Mission Local reports, the City Hall demonstration was actually joined at 6:30 p.m. by a separate demonstration that was happening Friday afternoon outside Mission Station. A group of about seven activists who remained behind after the five hunger strikers went to the hospital got into a confrontation with police and Public Works officials as various belongings from the sidewalk camp were removed and "bagged and tagged" for retrieval. Word spread and this protest grew, until this group joined the others at City Hall and attempted to enter the building themselves. By evening, about 200 people were gathered inside and outside the building, according to KRON 4.
The interaction with deputies was angry and physical at times and one or a group of protesters took one of the metal detectors inside the building's doors and threw it down the steps outside with some protesters occupying doorways in order to let more people inside the rotunda.
Protesters reportedly gathered around the closed door to Mayor Ed Lee's Office (he wasn't there), banging on it and blowing whistles and chanting for the removal of Police Chief Greg Suhr, as the Chronicle reports. Some also chanted for the recall of Lee. Then, "A line of sheriff’s deputies formed in front of the office and the protesters moved to sit at the top of the building’s main staircase, chasing away a handful of couples getting married."
Per Mission Local:
Several scuffles broke out between protesters and deputies, who used their batons to corral the resistant crowds, oftentimes pushing individual protesters against columns and the two security desks that flank the city hall entrance. Crowds pushed back against the lines of deputies attempting to advance them towards the city hall exit.Some protesters were roughly arrested by deputies. One man was dragged across the floor by his arms by deputies before being zip tied and taken away.
At least three reporters were pushed on the floor and against desks by deputies despite identifying themselves as members of the press.
As CBS 5 reports via Eileen Hirst at the Sheriff’s Department, 25 people were arrested in total and booked for trespassing. Mission Local had that number at 18. Deputies warned protesters that they could face arrest if they remained past 8 p.m.
Protesters refusing to leave City Hall. Kicked a metal detector down the stairs. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/uWmE65rax6
— Elissa Harrington (@EHarringtonNews) May 7, 2016
KRON 4 quotes protester and organizer Nanci Armstrong saying, "This movement is not about confrontation with the police. We are not holding this line because we are at war with them, we are holding this line because they are at war with us."
Conservative site Breitbart posted the video below to Twitter of one protester verbally confronting minority deputies outside City Hall, calling them "Uncle mother-you-know-what Toms," and saying, "We don't feel safe just because you look like us."
Protester taunts police at San Francisco City Hall #frisco5 protest. pic.twitter.com/HWB6QpIu2u
— Lee Stranahan (@stranahan) May 7, 2016
In total, the protest lasted over seven hours, with protesters ultimately pushed out of City Hall and stragglers remaining to dance on the steps of the building and taunt the deputies who remained in riot helmets, lined up in front of it, around 11 p.m.
This being San Francisco, there is line dancing at protests. #Frisco5 pic.twitter.com/ILxqQOlkS4
— Lee Stranahan (@stranahan) May 7, 2016
All quiet now #frisco500 pic.twitter.com/hQvMTW3Anm
— Not Seal of Approval (@theurv) May 7, 2016