Trans March leaders tell mayor: civil traffic officers, no SF Police in 2027
Trans March organizers tell mayor SFPD didn't protect them
Organizers of the San Francisco 2026 Trans March say San Francisco police officers did not protect participants from aggressive vehicles and were too aggressive when making arrests at the end of the march last month.
SAN FRANCISCO - Organizers of the Trans March told San Francisco's mayor at a Monday meeting that police officers failed to protect participants from aggressive drivers at this year's march and instigated a physical clash at the end of the event.
They met with Mayor Lurie in his office at city hall and presented a list of demands.
Outside, Trans March supporters held a rally, calling on the mayor to take action.
"Do the right thing, do the right thing," the crowd chanted.
About one hundred people chanted on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, just under Lurie's second floor office where he met with leaders of the Trans March and Trans District.
"It was amazing to hear the chants outside, and it really set the tone of the meeting," Niko Storment, Co-Director of the 2026 Trans March, said.
Trans March organizers' concerns
"A friend of mine was hit by a car when a driver tried to race through a gap in the march. Dozens of drivers screamed and honked and some even got out to threaten and intimidate us," Renée Coe, a Trans March Police Liaison, said.
"Multiple drivers attempting to drive their vehicles into the crowd of participants which SFPD failed to address," Kiki Lopez, Chair of GAPA (GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance), said.
Organizers said they felt San Francisco police were too aggressive at the end of the march.
"I started to hear screaming and shouting. I saw that a squad car had driven into the crowd. In the middle of the crowd, I saw dozens of police officers in full riot gear hitting people and shoving them to the ground," Coe said.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced criminal charges against four people on July 1st, saying some people were defacing property and security cameras during the march.
"Along the route, public and private property had been defaced with fresh pink-colored paint," Jenkins said, during the July 1 press conference.
Trans March community members demands
"We want the charges dropped. We want to redirect municipal funds into community safety, and replace armed police with civilian traffic management," Alex U. Inn, Co-founder of the People's March, said.
"Knowing the long and painful and violent history between the trans community and law enforcement, SFPD must do better. Our city officials must do better," Per Sia, San Francisco's Drag Laureate, said.
Mayor Lurie's Office Statement
Mayor Lurie's office responded to a request for comment with this statement:
"Mayor Lurie and our city departments are deeply invested in the safety of trans San Franciscans, and we are committed to cooperative efforts to ensure our LGBTQ+ community members can safely participate in Trans March and other Pride celebrations. That’s why we invited trans community leaders and city leaders to City Hall today to initiate a series of conversations that will take us towards safety and visibility for our transgender community in San Francisco."
San Francisco Police Dept. Statement:
KTVU also reached out to San Francisco police and received their response, which reads in part:
"The San Francisco Police Department is committed to working closely with our city’s diverse communities and receive regular training on community engagement involving all communities…."
"The incident you are referencing was in response to individuals breaking the law. The SFPD is unwavering in its support for the LGBTQ+ community and will continue to protect and serve every community in San Francisco."
The department said this about the incident in part:
"On 6/26/26 at approximately 7:00 pm officers were monitoring a planned march on Market Street when they observed individuals vandalizing property with paint at Market and 8th streets. As the vandalism was occurring, one of the individuals assaulted and sprayed paint on a person. Officers observed the crime in progress and attempted to detain the suspects. As the officers attempted to detain the suspects at Turk and Taylor, other individuals surrounded and obstructed the officers in an attempt to free the vandalism suspects. Officers arrested three adult suspects for assault and vandalism and two adult suspects for obstructing the officers' investigation. Additionally, two officers on scene were assaulted and suffered non-life-threatening injuries which they received medical treatment after they provided crowd control support during the incident."
"Again, the SFPD always respects individuals' First Amendment rights to protest; however, criminal activity will not be tolerated in San Francisco."
The department spokesperson Mason Lee sent this link to the department's orders for interacting with trans community members:
Next Steps
Trans March organizers say they plan to post information on their Instagram page about the next meeting this coming Sunday.
"The mayor seemed interested in moving forward with our demands and, at the same time, I know things take time," Storment said. "I think we need to make sure that we have those lines of communication open, that they are listening to our concerns and that they're understanding that trans people are not this violent group of people that are riled up and that we're real people who deserve respect."