5:25 PM: A growing crowd formed in front of the San Francisco headquarters of tech company Twitter this evening as part of a protest demanding city and state officials support students, families and public education.
A rally started in front of Twitter headquarters at 1355 Market St. around 4:30 p.m. with demonstrators giving speeches, carrying signs and singing Christmas songs with altered lyrics.
The group was planning to start marching along Market Street with a stop at an apartment building where many residents are facing eviction and ending at the Westfield San Francisco Centre on Market and Fifth streets.
Following a rally outside the shopping mall, were plans for holiday caroling with “alternative” lyrics, focusing on the so-called “1 percent.”
An altered version of “Deck the Halls” included the lines “Now’s the time to reclaim our city, fa la la la la la la la la la. They don’t pay their share of taxes.”
The protest is taking on various issues including saving City College of San Francisco, which is dealing with accreditation issues; stopping evictions of longtime, working class residents; demanding affordable housing; and supporting the public school system.
Shanell Williams, the student trustee at City College, said companies such as Twitter need to help the community they are based out of, not just the “super wealthy.”
“It’s unfair for students, families, and seniors to bear the burden” of increased housing and education costs and other public services.
“We support these companies,” Williams said, however “they need to give back to the community.”
She noted that funding cuts to the beleaguered community college seem unfair when the city has afforded companies major tax breaks.
San Francisco City Supervisor Eric Mar was also at the start of the protest, carrying a sign that said, “Stop the Corporate Greed.”
He said he expected other supervisors to join the march.
Protest organizers said the city needs to reset its priorities, and that an imbalance of support for tech companies that receive benefits, such as the infamous Twitter payroll tax break in 2012, is harming residents, students and families.
The march, rally and vigil are part of a “National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education” taking place with teacher unions across the country.
Williams said access to education, jobs, and housing are all connected and provide the foundation for successful residents. But instead many residents, such as working-class people and students, are being pushed out.
The event is organized by the United Educators of San Francisco and has support of 20 other organizations, including the San Francisco Labor Council, San Francisco Rising, the San Francisco Tenants Union, the American Federation of Teachers Local 2121, which represents City College of San Francisco faculty, Jobs with Justice and others.
Across from Twitter headquarters about a dozen motorcycle police were standing by, however by around 5 p.m. the protest remained peaceful.
Sasha Lekach, Bay City News
4:01 PM: A group is gathering in downtown San Francisco this afternoon to call for city and state officials to shift support from technology companies and other corporations to students, families and public education.
The march is starting in front of Twitter headquarters at 1355 Market St. at 4:30 p.m. and then continuing along Market Street with a stop at an apartment building where many residents are facing eviction and ending at the Westfield San Francisco Centre on Market and Fifth streets.
Following a rally outside the shopping mall, there will be holiday caroling with “alternative” lyrics, focusing on the so-called “1 percent,” according to organizers.
The protest is taking on various issues including saving City College of San Francisco, which is dealing with accreditation issues; stopping evictions of longtime, working class residents; demanding affordable housing; and supporting the public school system.
Protest organizers said the city needs to reset its priorities, and that an imbalance of support for tech companies that receive benefits, such as the infamous Twitter payroll tax break in 2012, is harming residents, students and families.
The march, rally and vigil are part of a “National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education” taking place with teacher unions across the country.
The event is organized by the United Educators of San Francisco and has support of 20 other organizations, including the San Francisco Labor Council, San Francisco Rising, the San Francisco Tenants Union, the American Federation of Teachers Local 2121, which represents City College of San Francisco faculty, Jobs with Justice and others.
Sasha Lekach, Bay City News
