Free Republic

The priests of St. Benedict the Moor Church in the Hill District hosted a prayer vigil Sunday, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The church was recently designated a “personal parish” to serve the Black community, and priests were assigned to the newly-formed parish only the day before. “We have a lot of work to do,” said the Rev. Thomas Burke, who was named pastor. “But know that I am here with you and for you.” Heat radiated off the pavement at Freedom Corner, and the sound of bongo drums filled the air. Starting at 1 p.m., dozens...

...San Francisco police (SFPD) raided the home of a freelance journalist on Friday, handcuffed him for hours and confiscated his devices in an apparent effort to uncover a police leak to the reporter. The state’s leading newspapers, along with first amendment advocates across the US, have decried the raid as an extraordinary and flagrant violation of press freedoms. But as pressure on the city has intensified in recent days, Democratic leaders have chosen to explicitly endorse the police investigation and tactics, criticize the journalist – or remain entirely silent about mounting free speech concerns. “What happened was unlike anything I’ve...