SAN FRANCISCO: Trashed Mission District businesses want answers

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 5/1/12 | Vivian Ho, Ellen Huet, Jaxon Van Derbeken

[SmithL]

Business owners in San Francisco's Mission District, cleaning up after a night in which protesters damaged more than 30 stores and restaurants and vandalized cars, questioned Tuesday why activists had singled them out and why police hadn't done more to halt the rampage.

Among those dealing with the damage were officers at the neighborhood police station, where black-clad, masked activists threw paint and bashed the front door Monday night.

Even as they defended themselves from criticism that they had allowed the vandals to run wild - one restaurant owner said officers even appeared to be "escorting" the group - high-level police officials met to find a better way to handle out-of-control crowds.

Split from rally

The protesters split away at 9 p.m. from an Occupy rally in Dolores Park that was held in advance of Tuesday's May Day actions. Traveling down 18th Street and onto Valencia Street, they smashed windows with crowbars and signs, threw paint and eggs on buildings and spray-painted anarchy symbols on the hoods of parked cars.

"All I heard was, 'bang, bang, bang,' and some dude had the valet sign, trying to break our window," said Adam Koskoff, manager of the Locanda restaurant on Valencia. "I didn't even see the crowd, and I ran outside and got egged."

The vandals damaged restaurants, bakeries and clothing stories, along with at least 17 cars on Valencia and Guerrero streets. An expensive Aston Martin had its windshield shattered, but the protesters damaged everyday cars as well.

At the Mission police station at 17th and Valencia streets, pink and yellow paint was thrown on the barricaded glass doors, which someone cracked with a hammer or similar weapon.

"It was like the station was under siege," said an officer, who asked not to be named.

[blueunicorn6]

Answer - This is what happens when you vote Democrat.

[saganite]

Where’s that pic of the San Francisco police force leadership.

[MamaDearest]

Nancy Pelosi says thank God for them...... It is imperative the anti-America, anti-capitalism politicians join unemployment lines very very soon.

[elkfersupper]

If and when the real anarchy gets going, these little agitators don’t stand a chance.

[hinckley buzzard]

yup. Dumb-ass obamanoids got their answer last night. They just didn't like it.

[driftless2]

Liberals in San Francisco living among the radical leftists are like chickens trying to coexist with coyotes. Sooner or later, they will be eaten.

[TexasCajun]

I wonder?

Are these Obamah, "Fundamentally Change America" voters or felons?

Oh, and Occupoopers?

Before now, I didn't notice the Poster-Boy is wearing "The Devil's" shoes.

[jazusamo]

If police forces throughout the country that account for huge sums of taxpayer dollars can't control these thugs there’ll come a day that honest citizens will. Honest citizens don't have pepper spray, stun guns or beanbag rounds to control mobs, they only have plain old weapons.

[cripplecreek]

Learn from Detroit.

When they trash your business, leave.

50 years later and Detroit still hasn’t recovered.

[familyop]

"Even as they defended themselves from criticism that they had allowed the vandals to run wild - one restaurant owner said officers even appeared to be "escorting" the group..."

They aren't allowed to arrest bipartisan trust fund babies. "The toes you step on today..." and all of that.

[norton]

Hint to law abiding people in 'Frisco and anyone else who haven't got the message:
Find a Korean pen pal in Los Angeles, and pay attention.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

SF is one of my favorite towns to visit.
(Just as long as I’m on an expense account.)

[albionin]

Well you wanted the rich to pay. You are paying. What do you have to complain about. You are reaping the rewards of your own moral code. Apologies to the rational who live there and were harmed but then again you chose to live among the irrational.

[Robert357]

So the mayor of San Francisco is horrified by the Occupy Wall Street thugs and yet.....

Up in Portland, that mayor is telling the Occupy folks to keep up the good job they are doing......

http://victoriataftkpam.blogspot.com/2012/05/mayor-sam-adams-tells-childrenoccupiers.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FFRIlu+%28VICTORIA+TAFT%29

Oh, well, it is street theater designed to try to help Democrats solidify their base for the coming November elections. We really should not be too upset about all the rioting (/sarcasm)

[cripplecreek]

[umgud]

Those Koreans couldn’t get away with that today.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SmithL.

Traveling down 18th Street and onto Valencia Street, they smashed windows with crowbars and signs, threw paint and eggs on buildings and spray-painted anarchy symbols on the hoods of parked cars. "All I heard was, 'bang, bang, bang,' and some dude had the valet sign, trying to break our window," said Adam Koskoff, manager of the Locanda restaurant on Valencia. "I didn't even see the crowd, and I ran outside and got egged."

Isn't it obvious? San Francisco needs to ban crowbars, signs, spray paint, eggs, and parked cars -- unless they're imported cars.

[Bernard Marx]

San Francisco: what goes around comes around. This is the town that coddled the radical movement in the Sixties. Stupidity carries a price.

[Truth29]

Rioters and looters need to know that business owners will shoot them when they start breaking in the windows and doors. If that won't happen, and the police are made escorts for the Tear Down America crowd, then businesses and taxpayers are nothing but sheep to be sheered.