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Indybay Feature

Apple Bus Blockaded In SF Protest Against Tech Owners, Speculators And Evictions

by Labor Video Project
San Francisco tenants threatened with evictions and communit- labor activists blockaded an Apple bus in San Francisco on December 20, 2013 to protest the massive increase in evictions caused by speculators, property developers and a Mayor and Board of Supervisors that are giving subsidies to the tech billionaires such as Twitter rather than stopping tenant evictions. They called for a state of emergency to immediately halt the attacks on tenants going on in San Francisco.
800_tech_sf_protest_muni_apple_bus12-20-13.jpg
[ San Francisco police refuse to ticket Apple, Google and other tech company buses which block SF Muni MTA buses when they use he Muni bus stops. This would add up to $1 billion for more working class housing. ]


Apple Bus Blockaded In SF Protest Against Tech Owners, Speculators And Evictions

Thousands of San Francisco residents are being evicted as a
result of a massive increase in housing costs caused in part
by the bussing in of thousands of tech employees from Silicon
Valley.

On December 20, 2013, people threatened with evictions and
community and labor activists stopped an Apple bus on 24th
St. and Valencia. The police removed the protesters and they
then marched to 24th and Mission. This is the second blockade
of a tech buses that are bringing thousands of new workers
into San Francisco and threatening long term residents and
working class people with low income.

The escalating number of evictions are also creating a growing
anger and terror among the residents and many fear they will
end up homeless. The San Francisco mayor Ed Lee and the
Board of Supervisors have given tax subsidies to tech companies
such as Twitter and have allowed the use of the MTA Muni bus
stops for these tech corporation buses with no enforcement of
traffic regulations and fines for illegal use.

Production of Labor Video Project http://www.laborvideo.org
§Anti-Eviction Rally 24th & Mission
by Labor Video Project
800_tech_sf_protest_bart12-20-13.jpg
After blockading the Apple bus, tenants and protesters marched to the 24th St. Bart station and rallied.
§UESF para-professional Beneto Santiago Threatened With Eviction
by Labor Video Project
800_tech_sf_protest_uesf_para_beneto_santiago12-20-13_protests.jpg
UESF para-professional Beneto Santiago who is threatened with eviction and possible being made homeless spoke at the rally and protest against the evictions and the tech companies which are pushing gentrification of San Francisco.
Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by Tenant
All of these tech companies that have hired buses should instead pay for construction of apartments in walking distance of their offices. Clearly the problem is an inadequate housing supply everywhere. Another cause of the housing crisis in San Francisco is the Academy of Art where 18,000 students pay $23,000 a year tuition to learn to draw pictures! This rich folks' school, with only a 35% graduation rate, has not only taken over dozens of buildings in San Francisco, its students have taken over may apartment buildings in San Francisco, especially in the Nob Hill area, all rent-controlled housing. However, because the super majority Democratic state legislature refuses to pass a vacancy control law, once the apartment is vacated, the landlord can charge whatever they want, so these rich kids live illegally 2 to a studio and up to 4 to a one bedroom. The landlords are not supposed to house more than 1 to a studio and 2 to a one bedroom, that is, 1 person per room not including the kitchen and bathroom. Any more than that is a slum, an illegal housing condition. Apartments on Nob Hill, a workingclass tenant area, now go for $1850 and up.

The Academy of Art and the tech companies should be REQUIRED to build housing for their students, in the case of the Academy of Art, and employees, in the case of all companies.

The question must be asked of the Democratic Party machine sitting at City Hall since 1960: Who is going to do the work in San Francisco if there is no affordable housing for the workingclass, those of us who sell our labor for less than $80,000 a year, and especially those who make less than $50,000 a year? The hotel and restaurant industry, most office jobs and most other jobs that make this City function are staffed by people who cannot afford high rents. Has the Democratic Party decided to abolish the tourist industry and financial district? That is exactly what will take place very soon when there is no affordable housing for the workingclass.

by Commenter
If companies like Google and Apple invested in local infrastructure to provide a greater range of reliable transportation options, they wouldn't need to schlep their employees around in buses. Any time a hot start-up releases IPO, SF landlords jack up their rents (or real estate sellers' prices) astronomically high because there's a gaggle of newly minted "millionaires" willing to shell out cash.
by orange
apple doesent care about police state,they only care about money.
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