The SAG-AFTRA Strike Comes to SF With City Hall Rally Wednesday Night

After the striking writers and actors picketed Netflix headquarters in Los Gatos last week, now they’re coming to San Francisco City Hall for a 5 p.m. Wednesday rally where all are welcome to come raise heck.

As the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike goes into its second week, while the Writers Guild of America strike heads toward its third month, the unionized actors have been holding rallies outside Hollywood. Both writers and actors picketed Netflix headquarters in Los Gatos last week, and held a huge star-studded rally in Times Square on Tuesday.

And now they’re coming for San Francisco. KRON4 reports that SAG-AFTRA members will rally at City Hall Wednesday at 5 p.m. According to the SAG-AFTRA rally announcement, “No advance RSVP [is] necessary,” and the rally is “Open to members, pre-members, labor activists, industry partners and strike supporters.”

Will there be celebrities? Probably not on the level of Tuesday’s Times Square rally, which drew Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, Jessica Chastain, and others. KRON4 reports that “Elected officials and the San Francisco Labor Council will be joining alongside the union members,” so you’re more likely to get local politicians who are running for some office in 2024. But in terms of star power, it would not be a surprise to see Bay Area-based actors like Danny Glover, Peter Coyote, and Delroy Lindo.

The actors are striking for better residuals for shows on streaming platforms, improved healthcare and pension packages, and most notably, protections against their voices and likenesses being used by artificial intelligence.

And per the latest news seen above, the two sides are not even negotiating at the moment. This marks the first time in 63 years that both actors guild and the writers guild have been on strike at the same time.

Related: Hollywood's Strike Reaches Silicon Valley: Writers, Actors, and Activists Picket Netflix HQ in Los Gatos [SFist]

Image: @sagaftra via Twitter