Video credit: Talkingstory.com

In San Francisco, Refuse Fascism called for a press conference and protest right where we thought the fascis t“Open California” protest would be. People from Revolution Books joined in, and we had over a dozen people on the side of Van Ness Avenue, which runs in front of SF City Hall. Some people joined in who were on our lists but had not joined in in recent months – they wanted to stand up to and denounce the medically hazardous, anti-science, racist, flag-waving, fascist“Open California” so-called protest. And a few joined in on the spot.

Our big banner, “Trump Pence Out Now”, stretched out on the side of the avenue, drew honks and raised fists from many passing cars (including in particular cars from a “rent strike” protest and car caravan nearby.)

The press was all around, and one part of an interview and a good picture of the main banner made it into the local TV news – they ran the part where we denounced the assault on science from the fascist forces, and cut the part where we called out the Trump/Pence fascist regime and the need for millions to take to the streets.

The people who gathered around the fascist pole in San Francisco were not as large as in other cities – less than 100 we estimate. They came flag-draped and with homemade signs attacking medical science (“False evidence appearing real”), dripping with patriotism combined with lunacy (“Give me liberty or give me .02% chance at death”) and just plain old “USA, USA”. But this did involve new people (compared to earlier rounds when the fascist forcescame out) and in the context of everything this points to a dangerous turn in the situation.