Proponents of a proposal that would prohibit sitting and lying on San Francisco city sidewalks are gathering to show their support for the plan at a news conference this afternoon.
The event, organized by the neighborhood organization Community Leadership Alliance, will bring together residents and business owners who support the proposed sit-lie ordinance, CLA executive director David Villa-Lobos said.
The ordinance, as proposed by Mayor Gavin Newsom, would prohibit sitting and lying on any city sidewalk between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.
It is meant to give police a tool for cracking down on intimidating street denizens, particularly in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, but opponents have said it would violate civil liberties and go against San Francisco culture.
The proposal has sparked heated debate, and protests were held in several spots in the city on Saturday.
Villa-Lobos said today’s event is “to let everyone know that there is plenty of support for sit/lie” because “the support hasn’t been publicized as much as the opposition.”
CLA chair Scott Caroen will speak at the event, as well as Haight/Ashbury residents and local business owners, Villa-Lobos said. The group anticipates protests outside the event, which will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the community room at the Tenderloin police station at 301 Eddy St.
