San Francisco Official and Political Club Condemn Police Operation of “Hill Bomb” in Mission District

San Francisco Supervisor and Political Club Condemn Police Action at Dolores Park

San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston and the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club have expressed their condemnation of the police action taken against a group of unruly teenage skateboarders in Dolores Park. The incident resulted in 113 arrests and numerous children being detained for hours before being released to their parents.

Supervisor Preston took to Twitter to rebuke the operation, stating that he was appalled by the abuse of power and trauma inflicted on the city’s young people. He called for answers from the San Francisco Police Department regarding the events of the previous night.

The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, one of the city’s oldest Democratic political clubs, also issued a strong condemnation of the police action. They expressed outrage at the show of force by police in military gear against teenagers and demanded an immediate and comprehensive independent investigation into the arrests. The club called for a review of the use of restraints, batons, and less-lethal rifles, as well as the conditions in which those arrested were held.

Mission Local reported on the accounts of several teenagers who were arrested during the incident. They described girls wetting themselves while waiting to be transferred to a police station, tight restraints causing swelling in hands, and other degrading circumstances.

Jeffrey Kwong, president of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, called the footage of the action shocking and stated that the club was working with youth groups across the city to formulate a unified response.

District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Dolores Park area, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a tweet response to a video of the incident, he stated that the hill bomb was safer than in previous years.

The San Francisco Police Department defended its actions, stating that the operation was necessary to control a riot. According to their statement, officers witnessed fireworks going off in the area and were subsequently confronted by a 16-year-old boy who spat on a sergeant. The altercation led to the officer being wounded and sent to the hospital. The police captain then declared an unlawful assembly, and officers began arresting individuals involved in the incident.

The police reported that the skateboarders threw glass bottles at officers, lit fireworks in their direction, and vandalized Muni trams. A large group of approximately 200 people dismantled police barriers, leading to the decision to arrest everyone en masse.

Police Chief Bill Scott commended the officers for holding accountable those engaged in dangerous and unlawful behavior. The San Francisco Police Department referred to the actions of the skateboarders as a “Mission District riot” and maintained that their policies in dealing with juveniles were followed.

Parents who were waiting for their children during the detainment expressed their intention to take legal action against the Police Department. They criticized the response by the police, calling it a violation of minors’ rights.

The skateboarding event in Dolores Park, which draws participants from across the Bay Area, has been the subject of controversy in the past. Incidents such as stabbings, fights, and collisions have occurred, leading to the police shutting down the event on previous occasions.

Original Story at missionlocal.org – 2023-07-09 21:37:05