Christina Campodonico

While the rest of California swings into full reopening, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is wading into murky public meeting waters as it plans for a return to in-person legislative meetings. Up in the air is what this means in the long term for remote public comment, though Board of Supervisors’ clerk Angela Calvillo told Here/Say that her team would continue to offer a remote option until further notice.

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While the rest of California swings into full reopening, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is wading into murky public meeting waters as it plans for a return to in-person legislative meetings. Up in the air is what this means in the long term for remote public comment, though Board of Supervisors’ clerk Angela Calvillo told Here/Say that her team would continue to offer a remote option until further notice.

“We want people to be safe, and we still want them to provide their input to the board, so we are offering a remote option for the public,” said Calvillo, who noted that in-person meetings by the Board would resume at the direction of the Board President with consideration to <a href="https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cal/OSHA</a> and local health orders.

“We want people to be safe, and we still want them to provide their input to the board, so we are offering a remote option for the public,” said Calvillo, who noted that in-person meetings by the Board would resume at the direction of the Board President with consideration to <a href="https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cal/OSHA</a> and local health orders.

Meanwhile, her team has been preparing for a world where the Supervisors meet in person but continue to receive public comment from their constituents remotely. In early June, they ran a “stress test” to figure out how to run a hybrid public meeting. According to the office’s IT department, it was successful.

Meanwhile, her team has been preparing for a world where the Supervisors meet in person but continue to receive public comment from their constituents remotely. In early June, they ran a “stress test” to figure out how to run a hybrid public meeting. According to the office’s IT department, it was successful.

“Our technical team confirmed that users were able to connect without issues, and all systems were operational,” wrote the Clerk of the Board’s Deputy Director of Operations, Wilson Ng, in an email to Here/Say.

“Our technical team confirmed that users were able to connect without issues, and all systems were operational,” wrote the Clerk of the Board’s Deputy Director of Operations, Wilson Ng, in an email to Here/Say.

But could remote public comment become a permanent part of public meetings? Some San Franciscans are wondering if it could be done. And if so, how?

But could remote public comment become a permanent part of public meetings? Some San Franciscans are wondering if it could be done. And if so, how?

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The answers to remote public comment’s future lie in how things shake out legislatively at the state level, how COVID-19 public health orders are implemented locally, and how the Board of Supervisors and other committees ultimately choose to respond to the policy matter. But two things are for sure: There is an appetite for this new form of virtual participation in the democratic process, and we may never be able to go back to before.

The answers to remote public comment’s future lie in how things shake out legislatively at the state level, how COVID-19 public health orders are implemented locally, and how the Board of Supervisors and other committees ultimately choose to respond to the policy matter. But two things are for sure: There is an appetite for this new form of virtual participation in the democratic process, and we may never be able to go back to before.

The Accessibility Factor

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-accessibility-factor">The Accessibility Factor</h2>

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<h2 id="h-the-accessibility-factor">The Accessibility Factor</h2>

While the pandemic put a stop to in-person legislative proceedings in San Francisco, it arguably unlocked the floodgates for participation in public comment, making it easier for constituents to weigh in on civic issues even as City Hall shut down. Instead of commuting down to City Hall in the middle of the afternoon to voice their views, the advent of the pandemic has allowed citizens to simply call in from their phones.

While the pandemic put a stop to in-person legislative proceedings in San Francisco, it arguably unlocked the floodgates for participation in public comment, making it easier for constituents to weigh in on civic issues even as City Hall shut down. Instead of commuting down to City Hall in the middle of the afternoon to voice their views, the advent of the pandemic has allowed citizens to simply call in from their phones.

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While the Clerk of the Board’s office has not specifically charted how the length of public meetings has changed over the course of the pandemic due to remote public comment, “anecdotally, the length of the meetings have extended,” observes Ng during the Clerk of the Board’s <a href="https://sfbos.org/virtual-office-hours#:~:text=Virtual%20open%20office%20hours%20are,of%20the%20public%20may%20have.">open virtual office hours</a>, which the office began as a way to keep connected with the public during the pandemic

While the Clerk of the Board’s office has not specifically charted how the length of public meetings has changed over the course of the pandemic due to remote public comment, “anecdotally, the length of the meetings have extended,” observes Ng during the Clerk of the Board’s <a href="https://sfbos.org/virtual-office-hours#:~:text=Virtual%20open%20office%20hours%20are,of%20the%20public%20may%20have.">open virtual office hours</a>, which the office began as a way to keep connected with the public during the pandemic

“I think it&#8217;s brought more people into local government,” adds Calvillo.&nbsp;

“I think it's brought more people into local government,” adds Calvillo.&nbsp;

“I think it&#8217;s brought more people into local government,” adds Calvillo.&nbsp;

Our own live-Tweet threads covering public comment periods on hot button issues, like <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/HereSayMedia/status/1362172834882019331">the Ferris Wheel saga</a>, have stretched for <a href="https://twitter.com/heresaymedia/status/1369479203779833856">more than four hours</a>, and some of our reporters have <a href="https://twitter.com/stbearman/status/1359408120682844164">reported</a> sitting in on virtual public meetings as long as eight hours.

Our own live-Tweet threads covering public comment periods on hot button issues, like <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/HereSayMedia/status/1362172834882019331">the Ferris Wheel saga</a>, have stretched for <a href="https://twitter.com/heresaymedia/status/1369479203779833856">more than four hours</a>, and some of our reporters have <a href="https://twitter.com/stbearman/status/1359408120682844164">reported</a> sitting in on virtual public meetings as long as eight hours.

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“It&#8217;s just easier to dial into something,” Grow SF Founder and Director <a href="https://twitter.com/agarwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sachin Agarwal</a> told Here/Say. “You know, it doesn&#8217;t interfere as much [with] your day-to-day stuff. And you can take a little break from work or whatever you&#8217;re doing. But also, it just feels more comfortable.”&nbsp;

“It's just easier to dial into something,” Grow SF Founder and Director <a href="https://twitter.com/agarwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sachin Agarwal</a> told Here/Say. “You know, it doesn't interfere as much [with] your day-to-day stuff. And you can take a little break from work or whatever you're doing. But also, it just feels more comfortable.”&nbsp;

“It&#8217;s just easier to dial into something,” Grow SF Founder and Director <a href="https://twitter.com/agarwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sachin Agarwal</a> told Here/Say. “You know, it doesn&#8217;t interfere as much [with] your day-to-day stuff. And you can take a little break from work or whatever you&#8217;re doing. But also, it just feels more comfortable.”&nbsp;

While active in local politics through <a href="https://growsf.org/about">Grow SF</a>, Agarwal had never given public comment before the pandemic and often felt intimidated by the prospect of speaking at public meetings. But the accessibility of remote public comment converted him into a more eager and confident commenter.&nbsp;

While active in local politics through <a href="https://growsf.org/about">Grow SF</a>, Agarwal had never given public comment before the pandemic and often felt intimidated by the prospect of speaking at public meetings. But the accessibility of remote public comment converted him into a more eager and confident commenter.&nbsp;

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“I feel like doing it virtually, I can just talk and just be myself,” says Agarwal, who was among the first to ask how public comment could remain “<a href="https://twitter.com/agarwal/status/1392528213415325700?s=20">remote forever</a>” when Supervisor Matt Haney <a href="https://twitter.com/MattHaneySF/status/1392527356577734657?s=20">tweeted</a> in May that the Board of Supervisors would start reconvening in-person on June 15. “Remote public comment has definitely given me this new channel. I feel like now I can talk directly to Supervisors in a way that&#8217;s much easier than before.”

“I feel like doing it virtually, I can just talk and just be myself,” says Agarwal, who was among the first to ask how public comment could remain “<a href="https://twitter.com/agarwal/status/1392528213415325700?s=20">remote forever</a>” when Supervisor Matt Haney <a href="https://twitter.com/MattHaneySF/status/1392527356577734657?s=20">tweeted</a> in May that the Board of Supervisors would start reconvening in-person on June 15. “Remote public comment has definitely given me this new channel. I feel like now I can talk directly to Supervisors in a way that's much easier than before.”

“I feel like doing it virtually, I can just talk and just be myself,” says Agarwal, who was among the first to ask how public comment could remain “<a href="https://twitter.com/agarwal/status/1392528213415325700?s=20">remote forever</a>” when Supervisor Matt Haney <a href="https://twitter.com/MattHaneySF/status/1392527356577734657?s=20">tweeted</a> in May that the Board of Supervisors would start reconvening in-person on June 15. “Remote public comment has definitely given me this new channel. I feel like now I can talk directly to Supervisors in a way that&#8217;s much easier than before.”

The Ghost of Remote Public Comment Past: Prop. E

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ghost-of-remote-public-comment-past-prop-e">The Ghost of Remote Public Comment Past: Prop. E</h2>

<h2 id="h-the-ghost-of-remote-public-comment-past-prop-e">The Ghost of Remote Public Comment Past: Prop. E</h2>

Interestingly enough, this is not the first time San Franciscans have contemplated making remote public comment possible at public meetings. In 2015, San Francisco State University Professor David Lee and his students <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/prop-e-seeks-to-foster-participation/">authored Prop. E</a>, which would have required public meetings, testimony and comments be made accessible through electronic and pre-recorded means and <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/City_of_San_Francisco_Requirements_For_Public_Meetings_of_Local_Policy_Bodies_Initiative,_Proposition_E_(November_2015)">allowed live, remote public comment during meetings</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Interestingly enough, this is not the first time San Franciscans have contemplated making remote public comment possible at public meetings. In 2015, San Francisco State University Professor David Lee and his students <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/prop-e-seeks-to-foster-participation/">authored Prop. E</a>, which would have required public meetings, testimony and comments be made accessible through electronic and pre-recorded means and <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/City_of_San_Francisco_Requirements_For_Public_Meetings_of_Local_Policy_Bodies_Initiative,_Proposition_E_(November_2015)">allowed live, remote public comment during meetings</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The local measure ultimately <a href="https://www.sfelections.org/results/20151103/">failed at the ballot box</a>, with 66.5 percent of San Franciscans voting against it. The proposition was supported by Assemblymember <a href="https://a17.asmdc.org/biography">David Chiu</a> and then-Board of Education commissioner <a href="https://sfbos.org/supervisor-walton-overview">Shamann Walton</a> but faced opposition from the San Francisco Democratic Party and then-Supervisor <a href="https://sfbos.org/former-supervisor-campos-district-9">David Campos</a>.

The local measure ultimately <a href="https://www.sfelections.org/results/20151103/">failed at the ballot box</a>, with 66.5 percent of San Franciscans voting against it. The proposition was supported by Assemblymember <a href="https://a17.asmdc.org/biography">David Chiu</a> and then-Board of Education commissioner <a href="https://sfbos.org/supervisor-walton-overview">Shamann Walton</a> but faced opposition from the San Francisco Democratic Party and then-Supervisor <a href="https://sfbos.org/former-supervisor-campos-district-9">David Campos</a>.

The SF Examiner firmly planted its flag in the in-person camp in its “no” endorsement of the proposition.&nbsp;

The SF Examiner firmly planted its flag in the in-person camp in its “no” endorsement of the proposition.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“We believe being physically present at a meeting, when possible, is integral to the democratic process. Showing up shows that someone truly cares about a particular issue and took the necessary steps to ensure his or her voice was heard. Providing people, especially those who live outside of San Francisco, with the ability to influence and impact The City’s political discussions remotely makes the measure unworkable and unrealistic,” <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/san-francisco-examiners-2015-endorsements/">wrote</a> the paper’s editorial board.&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote>

Yet public attitudes toward remote public comment may be changing in the wake of the pandemic. An <a href="https://twitter.com/HereSayMedia/status/1400164071186468874?s=20">informal Twitter poll</a> by Here/Say Media found that 71.8 percent of those surveyed favored keeping remote public comment. When asked if he would support a ballot measure to make remote public comment a permanent part of local public meetings, Agarwal responded enthusiastically.

Yet public attitudes toward remote public comment may be changing in the wake of the pandemic. An <a href="https://twitter.com/HereSayMedia/status/1400164071186468874?s=20">informal Twitter poll</a> by Here/Say Media found that 71.8 percent of those surveyed favored keeping remote public comment. When asked if he would support a ballot measure to make remote public comment a permanent part of local public meetings, Agarwal responded enthusiastically.

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“One hundred percent. I think we have to keep remote public comment,” Agarwal says. “That&#8217;s definitely the kind of issue that we would take up and fight for.”

“One hundred percent. I think we have to keep remote public comment,” Agarwal says. “That's definitely the kind of issue that we would take up and fight for.”

“One hundred percent. I think we have to keep remote public comment,” Agarwal says. “That&#8217;s definitely the kind of issue that we would take up and fight for.”

What Are Legislators Doing About It?

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-legislators-doing-about-it">What Are Legislators Doing About It?</h2>

<h2 id="h-what-are-legislators-doing-about-it">What Are Legislators Doing About It?</h2>

But Agarwal and others may not have to put up a fight or even go to the ballot box to make remote public comment a reality. There are already a handful of bills circulating at the state level that would have an impact on remote public comment if passed and reform aspects of the <a href="https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/facs-brown-act-primer/">Brown Act</a>, the state’s open meeting law.&nbsp;

But Agarwal and others may not have to put up a fight or even go to the ballot box to make remote public comment a reality. There are already a handful of bills circulating at the state level that would have an impact on remote public comment if passed and reform aspects of the <a href="https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/facs-brown-act-primer/">Brown Act</a>, the state’s open meeting law.&nbsp;

<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB703">AB 703</a> would allow virtual meetings indefinitely and remove requirements for public attendance at physical locations nullifying the requirement <a href="https://www.bbklaw.com/news-events/insights/2021/legal-alerts/03/are-virtual-public-meetings-here-to-stay">that public officials disclose their teleconferencing location</a> (such as the address of their home or hotel room). <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB361">AB 361</a> would allow for virtual meetings during declared emergencies or to declare an emergency. South Bay Assemblymember Alex Lee’s <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB339">AB 339</a> would require public meetings in jurisdictions with at least 250,000 people to offer internet-based or telephonic attendance and participation options.

<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB703">AB 703</a> would allow virtual meetings indefinitely and remove requirements for public attendance at physical locations nullifying the requirement <a href="https://www.bbklaw.com/news-events/insights/2021/legal-alerts/03/are-virtual-public-meetings-here-to-stay">that public officials disclose their teleconferencing location</a> (such as the address of their home or hotel room). <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB361">AB 361</a> would allow for virtual meetings during declared emergencies or to declare an emergency. South Bay Assemblymember Alex Lee’s <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB339">AB 339</a> would require public meetings in jurisdictions with at least 250,000 people to offer internet-based or telephonic attendance and participation options.

“When we hopefully return to in-person meetings and people can still come and have a jolly old fun meeting, people who traditionally have been barred out of this process can call in, they can make a public comment that way. That’s why it’s so important,” Lee <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/16/long-live-zoom-new-state-bill-would-require-all-public-meetings-to-have-remote-options/">told The Mercury News</a>.&nbsp;

“When we hopefully return to in-person meetings and people can still come and have a jolly old fun meeting, people who traditionally have been barred out of this process can call in, they can make a public comment that way. That’s why it’s so important,” Lee <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/16/long-live-zoom-new-state-bill-would-require-all-public-meetings-to-have-remote-options/">told The Mercury News</a>.&nbsp;

Locally, District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-measure-would-provide-maternity-leave-protections-for-elected-officials-and-appointees/">has proposed legislation</a> that would establish a citywide parental leave policy for elected officials and appointees and allow a teleconferencing option for those on leave who are taking care of a recently born or adopted child or a child taken in through foster care. The Supervisor is also working with legislators at the state level to reform the Brown Act to allow teleconferencing options for elected officials and appointees on medical or parental leave.&nbsp;

Locally, District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-measure-would-provide-maternity-leave-protections-for-elected-officials-and-appointees/">has proposed legislation</a> that would establish a citywide parental leave policy for elected officials and appointees and allow a teleconferencing option for those on leave who are taking care of a recently born or adopted child or a child taken in through foster care. The Supervisor is also working with legislators at the state level to reform the Brown Act to allow teleconferencing options for elected officials and appointees on medical or parental leave.&nbsp;

New San Francisco supervisor Myrna Melgar on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo By Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-1321761304-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-4771"/><figcaption>Supervisor Myrna Melgar is proposing a local measure to make teleconferencing possible for elected officials and appointees on parental leave. | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“[Board] members will be able to take formal parental leave for 16 weeks without the fear of discrimination or the fear of having to relinquish their seats,” said Melgar when she introduced her legislation at a Board of Supervisors meeting in early June. “The Brown Act teleconference policy did not have pregnancy or childbirth in mind, nor Zoom, nor any of the things that we have today. … This issue is nothing new, and yet the progress moves so slowly because of systemic gender inequity. …. I look forward to more opportunities to completely transform and shift our culture for good. We cannot go back to the way things were.”</blockquote>

District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin meanwhile is partial to in-person public comment—“it&#8217;s very, very different when you&#8217;re there in person and you can actually see somebody who is crying or angry,” he says—but thinks a hybrid option would be the way to go as long as certain “guard rails” can be put around the process to prevent deceptive political practices such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/feb/08/what-is-astroturfing">astroturfing</a>.

District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin meanwhile is partial to in-person public comment—“it's very, very different when you're there in person and you can actually see somebody who is crying or angry,” he says—but thinks a hybrid option would be the way to go as long as certain “guard rails” can be put around the process to prevent deceptive political practices such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/feb/08/what-is-astroturfing">astroturfing</a>.

District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin meanwhile is partial to in-person public comment—“it&#8217;s very, very different when you&#8217;re there in person and you can actually see somebody who is crying or angry,” he says—but thinks a hybrid option would be the way to go as long as certain “guard rails” can be put around the process to prevent deceptive political practices such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/feb/08/what-is-astroturfing">astroturfing</a>.

“As we find our way to the new normal, the hybrid idea is appetizing to me,” he said. “You can call in from your car, your bicycle, your bathroom, and it&#8217;s super convenient. … We also don&#8217;t want it to be exploited by multinational companies who can have somebody call in from the other side of the country.” &nbsp;

“As we find our way to the new normal, the hybrid idea is appetizing to me,” he said. “You can call in from your car, your bicycle, your bathroom, and it's super convenient. … We also don't want it to be exploited by multinational companies who can have somebody call in from the other side of the country.” &nbsp;

“As we find our way to the new normal, the hybrid idea is appetizing to me,” he said. “You can call in from your car, your bicycle, your bathroom, and it&#8217;s super convenient. … We also don&#8217;t want it to be exploited by multinational companies who can have somebody call in from the other side of the country.” &nbsp;

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Legally, How Could It Be Done?

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-legally-how-could-it-be-done">Legally, How Could It Be Done?</h2>

<h2 id="h-legally-how-could-it-be-done">Legally, How Could It Be Done?</h2>

So what would it take to make public comment permanent in San Francisco?

So what would it take to make public comment permanent in San Francisco?

According to the city attorney’s office, San Francisco will no longer be required to offer remote public comment once the <a href="https://www.bbklaw.com/getmedia/9dcf0fb9-ca22-4ffe-b666-77f952bc3761/3-17-20-N-29-20-EO.pdf">Governor’s order</a> regarding remote public meetings terminates.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the city attorney’s office, San Francisco will no longer be required to offer remote public comment once the <a href="https://www.bbklaw.com/getmedia/9dcf0fb9-ca22-4ffe-b666-77f952bc3761/3-17-20-N-29-20-EO.pdf">Governor’s order</a> regarding remote public meetings terminates.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“However, the state legislature or the San Francisco Board of Supervisors could enact legislation to require city commissions to offer remote public comment options in public meetings,” wrote the city attorney’s Deputy Press Secretary Meiling Bedard in an email.</blockquote>

“The Board of Supervisors could also adopt ordinances that require remote public comment to be offered in public meetings” and “make remote public comment a requirement for some or all meetings, depending on the contents of the ordinance,” added Bedard.

“The Board of Supervisors could also adopt ordinances that require remote public comment to be offered in public meetings” and “make remote public comment a requirement for some or all meetings, depending on the contents of the ordinance,” added Bedard.

Or as Supervisor Peskin told Here/Say: “I think we can just do it.”

Or as Supervisor Peskin told Here/Say: “I think we can just do it.”

What’s Next? Public Comment 2.0

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-public-comment-2-0">What’s Next? Public Comment 2.0</h2>

<h2 id="h-what-s-next-public-comment-2-0">What’s Next? Public Comment 2.0</h2>

Still, some regular public commenters are not quite as bullish on the idea.&nbsp;

Still, some regular public commenters are not quite as bullish on the idea.&nbsp;

San Francisco civil rights activist <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/san-francisco-civil-rights-icon-rev-amos-brown-turns-80/">Rev. Amos Brown</a> gave his first public comment not long after the brutal murder of Emmett Till in 1955. He’s not opposed to having a remote public comment option—“It&#8217;s not an either-or. It takes two wings on birds to fly,” he says—but believes an emphasis should be placed on in-person public comment once things return to normal.&nbsp;

San Francisco civil rights activist <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/san-francisco-civil-rights-icon-rev-amos-brown-turns-80/">Rev. Amos Brown</a> gave his first public comment not long after the brutal murder of Emmett Till in 1955. He’s not opposed to having a remote public comment option—“It's not an either-or. It takes two wings on birds to fly,” he says—but believes an emphasis should be placed on in-person public comment once things return to normal.&nbsp;

San Francisco civil rights activist <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/san-francisco-civil-rights-icon-rev-amos-brown-turns-80/">Rev. Amos Brown</a> gave his first public comment not long after the brutal murder of Emmett Till in 1955. He’s not opposed to having a remote public comment option—“It&#8217;s not an either-or. It takes two wings on birds to fly,” he says—but believes an emphasis should be placed on in-person public comment once things return to normal.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“We need to be engaged as a society, and too much technology is too much,” says Brown. “That's part of the reason why we have the problems that we have because we don't have empathy. We don't connect and communicate with each other. We need to come out of our silos.”</blockquote>

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“We need to be engaged as a society, and too much technology is too much,” says Brown. “That&#8217;s part of the reason why we have the problems that we have because we don&#8217;t have empathy. We don&#8217;t connect and communicate with each other. We need to come out of our silos.”</blockquote>

Local organizer, LGBTQ+ activist and <a href="https://twitter.com/wafoli">regular public commentator</a> Jane Natoli worries that a hybrid option would preference in-person comments over remote ones and adds that remote public comment is not as accessible as it might appear. She still hears the same people speaking up at virtual public meetings, typically “richer, whiter, older homeowners,” she observes.&nbsp;

Local organizer, LGBTQ+ activist and <a href="https://twitter.com/wafoli">regular public commentator</a> Jane Natoli worries that a hybrid option would preference in-person comments over remote ones and adds that remote public comment is not as accessible as it might appear. She still hears the same people speaking up at virtual public meetings, typically “richer, whiter, older homeowners,” she observes.&nbsp;

A study by three Boston University political science professors <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/abs/who-participates-in-local-government-evidence-from-meeting-minutes/C6505940E607B6392C4A8F53A9363DB1">found that</a> “individuals who are older, male, longtime residents, voters in local elections, and homeowners are significantly more likely to participate in [public] meetings.”

A study by three Boston University political science professors <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/abs/who-participates-in-local-government-evidence-from-meeting-minutes/C6505940E607B6392C4A8F53A9363DB1">found that</a> “individuals who are older, male, longtime residents, voters in local elections, and homeowners are significantly more likely to participate in [public] meetings.”

“Who is present, who can be there, who isn&#8217;t there—a phone doesn&#8217;t change that much, unfortunately,” says Natoli. “There&#8217;s still a lot of access and privilege that goes along with being able to dial in to a meeting that not necessarily everyone is accorded. So let&#8217;s not see this as some sort of panacea that&#8217;s going to solve our problems with public comment.”&nbsp;

“Who is present, who can be there, who isn't there—a phone doesn't change that much, unfortunately,” says Natoli. “There's still a lot of access and privilege that goes along with being able to dial in to a meeting that not necessarily everyone is accorded. So let's not see this as some sort of panacea that's going to solve our problems with public comment.”&nbsp;

“Who is present, who can be there, who isn&#8217;t there—a phone doesn&#8217;t change that much, unfortunately,” says Natoli. “There&#8217;s still a lot of access and privilege that goes along with being able to dial in to a meeting that not necessarily everyone is accorded. So let&#8217;s not see this as some sort of panacea that&#8217;s going to solve our problems with public comment.”&nbsp;

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https://twitter.com/wafoli/status/1403040321370394630?s=20
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Instead, she’d like to see public comment 2.0.&nbsp;

Instead, she’d like to see public comment 2.0.&nbsp;

“If we&#8217;re going to keep [remote] public comment as an enterprise&#8230; then we need to do a better job of actually making it more representative and getting more voices there,” she says.

“If we're going to keep [remote] public comment as an enterprise... then we need to do a better job of actually making it more representative and getting more voices there,” she says.

“If we&#8217;re going to keep [remote] public comment as an enterprise&#8230; then we need to do a better job of actually making it more representative and getting more voices there,” she says.

Others like Agarwal would like to see the user experience for public comment be radically improved for the future.

Others like Agarwal would like to see the user experience for public comment be radically improved for the future.

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“Now you call in, and you hit star three to put yourself into the queue, and you have no idea where you are in the queue or how long it's going to take,” says Agarwal, applying an engineer’s mind to the problem. “Can you somehow ping me and connect me? How do we, like, radically change the idea of giving public comment?”</blockquote>

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“Now you call in, and you hit star three to put yourself into the queue, and you have no idea where you are in the queue or how long it&#8217;s going to take,” says Agarwal, applying an engineer’s mind to the problem. “Can you somehow ping me and connect me? How do we, like, radically change the idea of giving public comment?”</blockquote>

Calvillo acknowledges that the current system has certain limitations, like not knowing where you are in the queue, but takes pride in the knowledge that her team was able <a href="https://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=10&amp;clip_id=35497">to pull together a fully functional remote public meeting</a> system within a week of the city shutting down last March. Since the start of the pandemic, her IT team has delivered hot spots and aided Supervisors in need when their internet has cut out. Another time, when the power went out at one staffer’s house, the remote public comment system was seamlessly able to roll over to another staffer’s home in a completely different county, thanks to the savvy planning and resourcefulness of the IT department, “and nobody knew the difference,” says Calvillo.&nbsp;

Calvillo acknowledges that the current system has certain limitations, like not knowing where you are in the queue, but takes pride in the knowledge that her team was able <a href="https://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=10&amp;clip_id=35497">to pull together a fully functional remote public meeting</a> system within a week of the city shutting down last March. Since the start of the pandemic, her IT team has delivered hot spots and aided Supervisors in need when their internet has cut out. Another time, when the power went out at one staffer’s house, the remote public comment system was seamlessly able to roll over to another staffer’s home in a completely different county, thanks to the savvy planning and resourcefulness of the IT department, “and nobody knew the difference,” says Calvillo.&nbsp;

“We didn&#8217;t skip a beat,&#8221; says Calvillo, whose office coordinated with the <a href="https://tech.sfgov.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Francisco Department of Technology</a>, <a href="https://sfgovtv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SFGovTV</a>, City Hall Media Services and the Board of Supervisors to put &#8220;together this system that works I would almost say beautifully, because we actually got the public to call in.”

“We didn't skip a beat," says Calvillo, whose office coordinated with the <a href="https://tech.sfgov.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Francisco Department of Technology</a>, <a href="https://sfgovtv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SFGovTV</a>, City Hall Media Services and the Board of Supervisors to put "together this system that works I would almost say beautifully, because we actually got the public to call in.”

“We didn&#8217;t skip a beat,&#8221; says Calvillo, whose office coordinated with the <a href="https://tech.sfgov.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Francisco Department of Technology</a>, <a href="https://sfgovtv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SFGovTV</a>, City Hall Media Services and the Board of Supervisors to put &#8220;together this system that works I would almost say beautifully, because we actually got the public to call in.”

“Rather than shut down, we always stayed open. We always remained accessible,” she says.

“Rather than shut down, we always stayed open. We always remained accessible,” she says.

As her office awaits more direction from the state, Cal/OSHA and San Francisco’s public health department on what’s possible for public meetings in the near term, Calvillo’s team is already thinking through how remote public comment could be improved—“We want to field the calls like we&#8217;re fielding the call from our family members,” says Calvillo—and considering a couple of different public comment scenarios.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As her office awaits more direction from the state, Cal/OSHA and San Francisco’s public health department on what’s possible for public meetings in the near term, Calvillo’s team is already thinking through how remote public comment could be improved—“We want to field the calls like we're fielding the call from our family members,” says Calvillo—and considering a couple of different public comment scenarios.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As her office awaits more direction from the state, Cal/OSHA and San Francisco’s public health department on what’s possible for public meetings in the near term, Calvillo’s team is already thinking through how remote public comment could be improved—“We want to field the calls like we&#8217;re fielding the call from our family members,” says Calvillo—and considering a couple of different public comment scenarios.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For example, how to field in person and remote public comments simultaneously, how to make sure someone doesn’t game the system by giving public comment twice—once remotely and once in person—and finessing the logistics of running a hybrid public meeting.&nbsp;

For example, how to field in person and remote public comments simultaneously, how to make sure someone doesn’t game the system by giving public comment twice—once remotely and once in person—and finessing the logistics of running a hybrid public meeting.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“It&#8217;s going to be a balancing act to have an in-person meeting in the chamber and run this system,” says Calvillo, who notes that such a meeting will likely require even more staffing to run telecommunications behind the scenes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“It's going to be a balancing act to have an in-person meeting in the chamber and run this system,” says Calvillo, who notes that such a meeting will likely require even more staffing to run telecommunications behind the scenes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“It&#8217;s going to be a balancing act to have an in-person meeting in the chamber and run this system,” says Calvillo, who notes that such a meeting will likely require even more staffing to run telecommunications behind the scenes.&nbsp;

Ultimately, she says, “the devil&#8217;s in the details.”

Ultimately, she says, “the devil's in the details.”

Ultimately, she says, “the devil&#8217;s in the details.”

City Hall is reopening: What happens to remote public comment?

Danny Yu Chang. Ngoc Pham. Xiao Zhen Xie.&nbsp;

Danny Yu Chang. Ngoc Pham. Xiao Zhen Xie.&nbsp;

These are the names of three Asian elders who were brutally attacked just this past week along Market Street. Chang, 59, <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Nothing-is-safe-here-in-California-16034222.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was struck from behind</a> on his way back from Trader Joe’s. Pham, 83, <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/two-asian-people-attacked-san-francisco" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suffered a fractured nose</a>. Xie, 75, was <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/18/asian-american-attacks-elderly-woman-beats-attacker-san-francisco/4745168001/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">punched in the face</a> and fought off her attacker with a stick.

These are the names of three Asian elders who were brutally attacked just this past week along Market Street. Chang, 59, <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Nothing-is-safe-here-in-California-16034222.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was struck from behind</a> on his way back from Trader Joe’s. Pham, 83, <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/two-asian-people-attacked-san-francisco" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suffered a fractured nose</a>. Xie, 75, was <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/18/asian-american-attacks-elderly-woman-beats-attacker-san-francisco/4745168001/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">punched in the face</a> and fought off her attacker with a stick.

These unprovoked assaults happened the same week as <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/03/17/graphics-atlanta-spa-shootings-robert-long/4731540001/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a deadly shooting rampage</a> across three Atlanta-area spas, which killed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/us/asian-women-victims-atlanta-shootings.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">six women of Asian descent</a> in Georgia and sent shockwaves across the country. The incidents are part of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-16/anti-asian-hate-pandemic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a disturbing trend of harassment </a>against Asian Americans nationally and regionally since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.&nbsp;

These unprovoked assaults happened the same week as <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/03/17/graphics-atlanta-spa-shootings-robert-long/4731540001/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a deadly shooting rampage</a> across three Atlanta-area spas, which killed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/us/asian-women-victims-atlanta-shootings.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">six women of Asian descent</a> in Georgia and sent shockwaves across the country. The incidents are part of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-16/anti-asian-hate-pandemic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a disturbing trend of harassment </a>against Asian Americans nationally and regionally since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.&nbsp;

Between March 2020 and February of this year, the group <a href="https://stopaapihate.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stop AAPI Hate</a>&nbsp;recorded nearly <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/there-were-3-800-anti-asian-racist-incidents-mostly-against-n1261257" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">3,800 anti-Asian incidents</a> in the U.S., including shunning, slurs and physical attacks. (AAPI stands for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.) An earlier version of the report noted that out of 1,226 instances reported in California between March and December 2020, 708 happened in the Bay Area and 292 took place in San Francisco alone—although that’s likely <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11859965/700-anti-asian-hate-incidents-reported-in-bay-area-during-pandemic-true-figures-might-be-even-worse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an underestimation</a>. In 2020, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-18/brutal-attacks-scar-san-francisco-asian-residents" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">almost 12% of hate crimes</a> were directed at Asians, San Francisco police spokesperson Robert Rueca told the L.A. Times.

Between March 2020 and February of this year, the group <a href="https://stopaapihate.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stop AAPI Hate</a>&nbsp;recorded nearly <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/there-were-3-800-anti-asian-racist-incidents-mostly-against-n1261257" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">3,800 anti-Asian incidents</a> in the U.S., including shunning, slurs and physical attacks. (AAPI stands for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.) An earlier version of the report noted that out of 1,226 instances reported in California between March and December 2020, 708 happened in the Bay Area and 292 took place in San Francisco alone—although that’s likely <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11859965/700-anti-asian-hate-incidents-reported-in-bay-area-during-pandemic-true-figures-might-be-even-worse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an underestimation</a>. In 2020, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-18/brutal-attacks-scar-san-francisco-asian-residents" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">almost 12% of hate crimes</a> were directed at Asians, San Francisco police spokesperson Robert Rueca told the L.A. Times.

As the country grapples with its history of bias against the AAPI community and a resurgence of intolerance, we break down how San Francisco is driving the national conversation and reckoning with racial injustice.&nbsp;

As the country grapples with its history of bias against the AAPI community and a resurgence of intolerance, we break down how San Francisco is driving the national conversation and reckoning with racial injustice.&nbsp;

A Resurgence of Racism &#8211; Attacks in the Bay Area Gain National Attention

A Resurgence of Racism - Attacks in the Bay Area Gain National Attention

A Resurgence of Racism &#8211; Attacks in the Bay Area Gain National Attention

A rash of assaults on Asian Americans <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/12/966940217/anger-and-fear-as-asian-american-seniors-targeted-in-bay-area-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in the Bay Area</a> over the last year has put a spotlight on renewed anti-Asian sentiment in America. In February 2020, a video of an elderly Asian man being attacked and robbed <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/police-investigate-attack-elderly-asian-man-collecting-recyclables-san-francisco-n1143471" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">while collecting recyclables</a> in Bayview-Hunters Point went viral and garnered millions of views on social media. In January of this year, 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, a Thai San Franciscan, died from his injuries after being <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/02/01/video-surveillance-footage-shows-brutal-san-francisco-assault-that-critically-injured-84-year-old-man/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">knocked to the ground</a> in a sudden assault, which <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/elderly-San-Francisco-man-killed-racist-act-Vicha-15918274.php">his fa</a><a href="https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/elderly-San-Francisco-man-killed-racist-act-Vicha-15918274.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">m</a><a href="https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/elderly-San-Francisco-man-killed-racist-act-Vicha-15918274.php">ily says was racially motivated</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A rash of assaults on Asian Americans <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/12/966940217/anger-and-fear-as-asian-american-seniors-targeted-in-bay-area-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in the Bay Area</a> over the last year has put a spotlight on renewed anti-Asian sentiment in America. In February 2020, a video of an elderly Asian man being attacked and robbed <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/police-investigate-attack-elderly-asian-man-collecting-recyclables-san-francisco-n1143471" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">while collecting recyclables</a> in Bayview-Hunters Point went viral and garnered millions of views on social media. In January of this year, 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, a Thai San Franciscan, died from his injuries after being <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/02/01/video-surveillance-footage-shows-brutal-san-francisco-assault-that-critically-injured-84-year-old-man/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">knocked to the ground</a> in a sudden assault, which <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/elderly-San-Francisco-man-killed-racist-act-Vicha-15918274.php">his fa</a><a href="https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/elderly-San-Francisco-man-killed-racist-act-Vicha-15918274.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">m</a><a href="https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/elderly-San-Francisco-man-killed-racist-act-Vicha-15918274.php">ily says was racially motivated</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

That attack drew the attention of <a href="https://abc7.com/olivia-munn-awkwafina-daniel-dae-kim-queens-bakery-assault/10351077/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prominent Asian American celebrities</a> and sparked <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/scapegoated-asians-asian-americans-speak-spate-violence/story?id=75956385" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a national conversation</a> on the rise of anti-Asian violence during the pandemic. The recent attacks against Chang, Pham and Xie, with the Atlanta spa shootings last week, continue to stir the discussion.&nbsp;

That attack drew the attention of <a href="https://abc7.com/olivia-munn-awkwafina-daniel-dae-kim-queens-bakery-assault/10351077/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prominent Asian American celebrities</a> and sparked <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/scapegoated-asians-asian-americans-speak-spate-violence/story?id=75956385" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a national conversation</a> on the rise of anti-Asian violence during the pandemic. The recent attacks against Chang, Pham and Xie, with the Atlanta spa shootings last week, continue to stir the discussion.&nbsp;

Trump’s Anti-Asian Speech Fans Flames of Hatred Buried Deep in History&nbsp;

Trump’s Anti-Asian Speech Fans Flames of Hatred Buried Deep in History&nbsp;

Members of the AAPI community and experts agree that the wave of attacks against Asian Americans is directly related to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/trumps-chinese-virus-tweet-helped-lead-rise-racist/story?id=76530148" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the anti-Asian rhetoric of former U.S. President Donald Trump</a> from early on in the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Members of the AAPI community and experts agree that the wave of attacks against Asian Americans is directly related to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/trumps-chinese-virus-tweet-helped-lead-rise-racist/story?id=76530148" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the anti-Asian rhetoric of former U.S. President Donald Trump</a> from early on in the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“President Trump’s rhetoric of the ‘Chinese virus,’ or the ‘kung flu,’ that automatically associated the virus with Chinese people,” Lok Siu, a UC Berkeley associate professor of Asian American studies, told <a href="https://news.berkeley.edu/2021/03/17/berkeley-expert-in-times-of-crisis-anti-asian-violence-is-an-american-tradition/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berkeley News</a>. “By blaming the Chinese as the cause of the pandemic, he ignited anti-Chinese sentiments and channeled popular fear and rage against East Asian-appearing persons.”&nbsp;

“President Trump’s rhetoric of the ‘Chinese virus,’ or the ‘kung flu,’ that automatically associated the virus with Chinese people,” Lok Siu, a UC Berkeley associate professor of Asian American studies, told <a href="https://news.berkeley.edu/2021/03/17/berkeley-expert-in-times-of-crisis-anti-asian-violence-is-an-american-tradition/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berkeley News</a>. “By blaming the Chinese as the cause of the pandemic, he ignited anti-Chinese sentiments and channeled popular fear and rage against East Asian-appearing persons.”&nbsp;

“The rhetoric of ‘Wuhan virus’ came directly from Donald Trump, and his administration enabled a whole wave of far-right white supremacists,” echoed local activist and Entertainment Commission representative <a href="https://sfgov.org/entertainment/cyn-wang#:~:text=Cyn%20Wang%20was%20appointed%20to,the%20Sunset%20District%20in%201979." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cyn Wang</a>, who also told Here/Say that her family’s business in the Sunset District has been graffitied with the ethnic slur “Chink” in recent months. “I think he emboldened a group of radicalized people that are going to continue to be in our community and in public discourse.”&nbsp;

“The rhetoric of ‘Wuhan virus’ came directly from Donald Trump, and his administration enabled a whole wave of far-right white supremacists,” echoed local activist and Entertainment Commission representative <a href="https://sfgov.org/entertainment/cyn-wang#:~:text=Cyn%20Wang%20was%20appointed%20to,the%20Sunset%20District%20in%201979." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cyn Wang</a>, who also told Here/Say that her family’s business in the Sunset District has been graffitied with the ethnic slur “Chink” in recent months. “I think he emboldened a group of radicalized people that are going to continue to be in our community and in public discourse.”&nbsp;

For San Francisco State University Asian American history professor Russell Jeung, this current wave of violence against Asians is part of a long legacy of anti-Asian hate in the U.S.&nbsp;

For San Francisco State University Asian American history professor Russell Jeung, this current wave of violence against Asians is part of a long legacy of anti-Asian hate in the U.S.&nbsp;

“Whenever an epidemic comes from Asia, Asians are scapegoated and are met with interpersonal violence and racist policies,” Jeung <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/race-racism-the-long-western-legacy-of-violence-against-asian-americans" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told High Country News</a>.&nbsp;

“Whenever an epidemic comes from Asia, Asians are scapegoated and are met with interpersonal violence and racist policies,” Jeung <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/race-racism-the-long-western-legacy-of-violence-against-asian-americans" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told High Country News</a>.&nbsp;

In the U.S., anti-Asian rhetoric and discrimination date back at least to the 19th century with the 1875 Page Act and Chinese Exclusion Act. The former effectively barred Chinese women from immigrating to the U.S., and the latter stopped Chinese laborers from entering the country. In the 20th century, Japanese Americans were forced from their homes across the West Coast into internment camps during World War II. San Francisco’s <a href="https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Nihonjin-Machi,_San_Francisco%27s_Japanese_People_Town" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dense</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/California-state/People" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Asian populations</a> were <a href="https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Japanese_Internment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deeply impacted</a> by <a href="https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Chinese_Americans_in_San_Francisco_during_World_War_II" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">such policies</a> as well as <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-03-22/anti-asian-violence-california" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discriminatory city and state edicts</a>, which did everything from bar Japanese students from attending SF public schools to prevent people of Chinese descent from testifying in court.&nbsp;

In the U.S., anti-Asian rhetoric and discrimination date back at least to the 19th century with the 1875 Page Act and Chinese Exclusion Act. The former effectively barred Chinese women from immigrating to the U.S., and the latter stopped Chinese laborers from entering the country. In the 20th century, Japanese Americans were forced from their homes across the West Coast into internment camps during World War II. San Francisco’s <a href="https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Nihonjin-Machi,_San_Francisco%27s_Japanese_People_Town" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dense</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/California-state/People" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Asian populations</a> were <a href="https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Japanese_Internment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deeply impacted</a> by <a href="https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Chinese_Americans_in_San_Francisco_during_World_War_II" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">such policies</a> as well as <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-03-22/anti-asian-violence-california" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discriminatory city and state edicts</a>, which did everything from bar Japanese students from attending SF public schools to prevent people of Chinese descent from testifying in court.&nbsp;

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_4418-2500x1875.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-2639"/><figcaption>Demonstrators gather at a stop AAPI hate rally in Chinatown&#8217;s Portsmouth Square</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_4418-2500x1875.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-2639"/><figcaption>Demonstrators gather at a stop AAPI hate rally in Chinatown's Portsmouth Square</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_4418-2500x1875.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-2639"/><figcaption>Demonstrators gather at a stop AAPI hate rally in Chinatown&#8217;s Portsmouth Square</figcaption></figure></div>

San Francisco&#8217;s Response&nbsp;

San Francisco's Response&nbsp;

San Francisco&#8217;s Response&nbsp;

At the direction of Mayor London Breed, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has responded to the increase in anti-Asian attacks <a href="https://abc7news.com/sfpd-chief-addresses-horrific-spike-in-anti-asian-violence/10427468/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">by stepping up patrols</a> in predominantly Asian neighborhoods. The <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/sf-citizen-patrol-group-praised-for-protecting-asian-american-community/2492251/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Peace Collaborative</a>, a grassroots citizen patrol based out of Chinatown, has also sprung up to bolster public safety, while some San Franciscans on Nextdoor have offered to be walking buddies for their Asian American neighbors at night.&nbsp;

At the direction of Mayor London Breed, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has responded to the increase in anti-Asian attacks <a href="https://abc7news.com/sfpd-chief-addresses-horrific-spike-in-anti-asian-violence/10427468/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">by stepping up patrols</a> in predominantly Asian neighborhoods. The <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/sf-citizen-patrol-group-praised-for-protecting-asian-american-community/2492251/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Peace Collaborative</a>, a grassroots citizen patrol based out of Chinatown, has also sprung up to bolster public safety, while some San Franciscans on Nextdoor have offered to be walking buddies for their Asian American neighbors at night.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the mayor’s office announced that the city would <a href="https://sfmayor.org/article/mayor-london-breed-announces-new-efforts-protect-public-safety-and-combat-anti-asian" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expand the Street Violence Intervention Program</a> to enhance neighborhood public safety in a “culturally-competent” way and the senior escort program, which provides companions to seniors walking or taking transit to medical or personal appointments.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the mayor’s office announced that the city would <a href="https://sfmayor.org/article/mayor-london-breed-announces-new-efforts-protect-public-safety-and-combat-anti-asian" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expand the Street Violence Intervention Program</a> to enhance neighborhood public safety in a “culturally-competent” way and the senior escort program, which provides companions to seniors walking or taking transit to medical or personal appointments.&nbsp;

“We have seen a rise of hate crimes against our elderly Asian community, and I want to make it clear that we won’t tolerate it,” <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/S-F-increasing-police-patrols-in-Asian-16033107.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said Mayor Breed</a> in a public response to the Atlanta spa shootings and uptick in anti-Asian violence last week. “San Francisco will continue to support and uplift our Asian community.”&nbsp;

“We have seen a rise of hate crimes against our elderly Asian community, and I want to make it clear that we won’t tolerate it,” <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/S-F-increasing-police-patrols-in-Asian-16033107.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said Mayor Breed</a> in a public response to the Atlanta spa shootings and uptick in anti-Asian violence last week. “San Francisco will continue to support and uplift our Asian community.”&nbsp;

“No one should have to live in fear that their race or ethnicity could make them a victim,” she added <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonBreed/status/1372232626237370368" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in a tweet</a>.&nbsp;

“No one should have to live in fear that their race or ethnicity could make them a victim,” she added <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonBreed/status/1372232626237370368" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in a tweet</a>.&nbsp;

In contrast, District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s office <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Amid-attacks-on-Asians-hate-crime-laws-out-of-16045251.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has been criticized</a> for not charging the attacks against Xie, Pham and Ratanapakdee as hate crimes. (Boudin’s chief of staff told the San Francisco Chronicle that the Pham and Xie cases are still under investigation and that the DA <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Amid-attacks-on-Asians-hate-crime-laws-out-of-16045251.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has not ruled out additional charges</a>. Boudin has charged the alleged assailant in the Ratanapakdee case with murder and inflicting injury on an elder, but no hate crimes.)&nbsp;

In contrast, District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s office <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Amid-attacks-on-Asians-hate-crime-laws-out-of-16045251.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has been criticized</a> for not charging the attacks against Xie, Pham and Ratanapakdee as hate crimes. (Boudin’s chief of staff told the San Francisco Chronicle that the Pham and Xie cases are still under investigation and that the DA <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Amid-attacks-on-Asians-hate-crime-laws-out-of-16045251.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has not ruled out additional charges</a>. Boudin has charged the alleged assailant in the Ratanapakdee case with murder and inflicting injury on an elder, but no hate crimes.)&nbsp;

Other San Francisco leaders have come out strongly against the spate of attacks in the Bay Area and across the country.&nbsp;

Other San Francisco leaders have come out strongly against the spate of attacks in the Bay Area and across the country.&nbsp;

San Francisco’s female AAPI elected officials, including District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, BART Board Director Janice Li and Board of Education Commissioner Jenny Lam, issued a joint statement <a href="https://twitter.com/conniechansf/status/1372655813702025216/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">denouncing</a> the violent targeting of Asian women in last week’s Atlanta spa shootings. State Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) has <a href="https://ktla.com/news/california/california-bill-could-create-statewide-hotline-for-reporting-hate-crimes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">also introduced legislation</a> that would create a statewide system for reporting hate crimes.&nbsp;

San Francisco’s female AAPI elected officials, including District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, BART Board Director Janice Li and Board of Education Commissioner Jenny Lam, issued a joint statement <a href="https://twitter.com/conniechansf/status/1372655813702025216/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">denouncing</a> the violent targeting of Asian women in last week’s Atlanta spa shootings. State Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) has <a href="https://ktla.com/news/california/california-bill-could-create-statewide-hotline-for-reporting-hate-crimes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">also introduced legislation</a> that would create a statewide system for reporting hate crimes.&nbsp;

Amid this political environment, Board of Education Vice President Alison Collins <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/03/21/mayor-breed-leads-chorus-of-officials-calling-for-school-board-vps-resignation-over-anti-asian-tweets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has come under fire</a> for a series of resurfaced 2016 tweets deemed by some public officials as “racist” and “anti-Asian.” (Collins affirmed her solidarity with the Asian American community and said her remarks <a href="https://alimcollins.medium.com/with-anti-asian-bias-on-the-rise-in-our-communities-and-the-hate-crimes-committed-in-georgia-this-2e5e6d22dac1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">were taken out of context</a> in a Medium post.)&nbsp;

Amid this political environment, Board of Education Vice President Alison Collins <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/03/21/mayor-breed-leads-chorus-of-officials-calling-for-school-board-vps-resignation-over-anti-asian-tweets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has come under fire</a> for a series of resurfaced 2016 tweets deemed by some public officials as “racist” and “anti-Asian.” (Collins affirmed her solidarity with the Asian American community and said her remarks <a href="https://alimcollins.medium.com/with-anti-asian-bias-on-the-rise-in-our-communities-and-the-hate-crimes-committed-in-georgia-this-2e5e6d22dac1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">were taken out of context</a> in a Medium post.)&nbsp;

At the grassroots level, San Franciscans and Bay Area locals have come out in droves to show solidarity with the AAPI community. Over the weekend, anti-AAPI hate <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-artists-rally-in-San-Francisco-s-16041278.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rallies were held across the Bay Area</a> and more than 1,000 people <a href="https://abc7news.com/stop-asian-hate-rally-san-francisco-crimes-protest-sf-lives-matter/10439342/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marched from the Castro to Chinatown</a> in a demonstration organized by the LGBTQ community to rebuke anti-Asian rhetoric and attacks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At the grassroots level, San Franciscans and Bay Area locals have come out in droves to show solidarity with the AAPI community. Over the weekend, anti-AAPI hate <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-artists-rally-in-San-Francisco-s-16041278.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rallies were held across the Bay Area</a> and more than 1,000 people <a href="https://abc7news.com/stop-asian-hate-rally-san-francisco-crimes-protest-sf-lives-matter/10439342/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marched from the Castro to Chinatown</a> in a demonstration organized by the LGBTQ community to rebuke anti-Asian rhetoric and attacks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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