Dozens of rowdy protesters called for San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr’s resignation during a swearing in ceremony for Mayor Ed Lee today.
Lee’s introduction by Board of Supervisors President London Breed was drowned out with several “boos” by the protesters, many of whom were members of the Justice for Mario Woods Coalition.
The group is calling for the resignation of police chief Greg Suhr in response to the fatal shooting of San Francisco resident Mario Woods, 28, by police on Dec. 2 in the Bayview district. Many of the protesters carried signs that read “Fire Suhr.”
Sheriff’s deputies confiscated many of the protestor’s signs and several people were escorted out of the building.
Ten people were briefly detained but later released without incident and none of the protesters were arrested, according to a spokeswoman with the sheriff’s office.
Immediately following the ceremony, members of the Justice for Mario Woods Coalition held a news conference, calling for an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of Woods.
“We are calling for an independent investigation… And not by San Francisco police department and not by San Francisco police commission because they cannot investigate themselves,” coalition and Service Employees Union International 1021 member Felicia Jones said.
“You cannot shoot down a human being or shoot him more than 20 times like he’s an animal and think it’s ok and then be suspended for only 10 days and go back to work. We are not accepting it. We are putting the city of San Francisco on notice that we want justice,” Jones said.
The 11:30 a.m. ceremony at City Hall was attended by California Governor Jerry Brown, U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein, and former San Francisco Mayor and California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, among other state and city officials.
Daniel Montes, Bay City News
