Thousands Rally, March In San Francisco After Trump Calls Off Federal Deployment

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Despite the president's decision not to deploy federal agents across San Francisco, protesters took to the streets to express ongoing unease with the dual threat of immigration sweeps and military occupation Thursday.

Hundreds gathered at San Francisco's Embarcadero Plaza on Thursday in what was largely a peaceful protest.

When David Solnit learned that people would be protesting at the Coast Guard base in Alameda on Thursday morning, he and his friends wanted to take a stand and do their part.

The East Bay resident and screenprinter made 150 signs yesterday in preparation for the protest. Some read "No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here." Others said, "No ICE or troops in the Bay. Protect our neighbors, rights and constitution."

But 150 wasn't enough. So Solnit and his friend made 300 more Thursday evening at another demonstration in San Francisco's Embarcadero Plaza. They ran out within an hour.

"Everyone has to pitch in how they can," Solnit told Patch, adding that he was concerned about his neighbors being targeted by federal agents.

Solnit was among thousands who gathered in San Francisco's Embarcadero Plaza Thursday evening to protest President Donald Trump's threat to deploy federal agents and target immigrants in the city.

There were signs calling Trump a fascist dictator, chants demanding ICE agents get out of the bay, and music in what was a largely peaceful protest. That protest led to a march through San Francisco's streets.

The demonstration came on the heels of Trump's decision to deploy federal agents to San Francisco to address public safety issues. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrived at the Coast Guard base in Alameda early Thursday morning.

Those agents were met by several hundred protesters who had gathered shortly after dawn on the drawbridge that leads into the base. There, police used at least one flash-bang grenade to clear protesters. There were also reports of injuries. One person was shot in the face with a projectile while another person's foot was run over by a federal agent's vehicle, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement that he spoke with Trump on Wednesday night and reiterated that the city was on the rise.

"In that conversation, the president told me clearly that he was calling off any plans for a federal deployment in San Francisco," Lurie said in a statement. "Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem reaffirmed that direction in our conversation this morning."

Trump said on Truth Social Thursday morning that the federal government was ready to "surge" in San Francisco, but he backed off following a conversation with tech friends of his who live in the area, including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

"I spoke to Mayor Lurie last night and he asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around," Trump said online. "I told him I think he is making a mistake, because we can do it much faster, and remove the criminals that the Law does not permit him to remove."

Despite Trump appearing to back down, Lurie said his team is still monitoring the situation closely and that San Francisco remains prepared for "any scenario." He added that he welcomes partnerships with federal agencies, including the FBI and DEA, to address drug-related crime in San Francisco.

Many at the protest, however, weren't convinced of Trump's apparent retreat.

Amy Erb, a registered nurse in San Francisco, said her immediate thought was not to trust Trump. Erb said the announcement by Lurie and Trump was vague and didn't explain exactly what rescinding the federal agents entailed.

"To be frank, I don't know the details of it, I don't know if that just means for today, I don't know if that just means the National Guard versus ICE, I don't know if he just means San Francisco or the greater Bay Area," Erb said. "We don't need feds here to stir things up and start trouble."

Lisa Murphy, a Marin County resident, called Trump a liar and said his decision to deploy federal agents to the Bay Area was "illegal, dangerous, it's kidnapping, it's unusual, and it's cruel." She said that as an American, Trump's actions have made her feel "violated."

"Donald Trump is making war on Americans," Murphy said. "The depredations that are being committed by not only Trump but the Republican Party have me extremely aggravated and frightened, and I want it to end. I want our country back."

David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union, California, spoke at the rally and commended the Bay Area community for mobilizing quickly against Trump's threats.

Huerta told protesters that they had something nobody else had been capable of achieving — keeping federal agents out of a city. He also led chants, including Dolores Huerta's famous "Si se puede" rally cry, which has since become the motto of the United Farm Workers organization.

"Every day that they are out there, we have to keep standing in solidarity, and we have to continue to protest," Huerta said. "Our collective voices is our power and strength."

Trump has already deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, to help fight what he says is rampant crime.

Los Angeles was the first city where Trump deployed the Guard, arguing it was necessary to protect federal buildings and federal agents as protesters fought back against mass immigration arrests.

A judge later ruled that Trump had violated federal law when he deployed the troops in California.