State Senator Scott Wiener, in what's likely just the first of many official statements condemning Patriot Prayer's ditching of a highly regulated, permitted event plan at Crissy Field in favor of an unpermitted "news conference" in Alamo Square Park.
Wiener's statement:
“Today the right-wing extremist group Patriot Prayer - with a history of violent rallies -- showed its true colors by canceling, at the last minute, its permitted rally at Crissy Field and scheduling an illegal unpermitted rally at Alamo Square. They did this after the National Park Service correctly placed significant security conditions on the permit, including not carrying anything that could be used as a weapon. Patriot Prayer is not interested in simply exercising free speech. Rather, Patriot Prayer wants to create a volatile, chaotic, violent tinderbox. This rally in Alamo Square is illegal and in the heart of a residential neighborhood, and I am deeply concerned it will lead to violence, particularly given how close Alamo Square is to the counter-protest at Civic Center. As a matter of public safety, it cannot be allowed to happen.”
More on this as it develops.
Related: Patriot Prayer Cancels SF Rally, Citing Safety; Plans Alamo Square 'Press Conference' Instead