Tensions flared at San Francisco’s trans march on Friday when demonstrators confronted a Democratic state lawmaker over his stance on Gaza.
California State Senator Scott Wiener, 56, was recorded by an attendee at the Pride event in Dolores Park as several angry locals shouted criticism at him, accusing him of backing policies tied to what they described as the “genocide in Gaza.”
‘I think your policy on genocide is terrible,’ Dimitry Yakoushkin, who shared the footage on X, was heard telling Weiner. ‘I think you do not belong here.’
Wiener continued walking through the crowd as more attendees moved toward him, with one person seen raising a middle finger in his direction.
“You’ve been terrible on Gaza! You do not belong here anymore, Scott, and it breaks my f***ing heart,” Yakoushkin could be heard yelling in the footage.
“It breaks my heart that someone who wrote good legislation for queers is so f***ing terrible on Gaza,” the protester added.
Other hecklers joined in as the confrontation grew louder, with members of the crowd hurling insults at the senator, including calling him a “piece of s***” and a “lowlife Zionist.”
“You stopped being queer the moment you started supporting Israel,” one protester shouted at Wiener, who is openly gay and Jewish.
California State Senator Scott Wiener, 56, was filmed by an attendee at the Pride event in Dolores Park on Friday as frustrated locals confronted him over his stance on Gaza.
Hecklers were heard yelling at the senator, as the crowd condemned Weiner as a ‘piece of s***’ and a ‘lowlife Zionist’
‘You stopped being queer the moment you started supporting Israel,’ one protestor was heard screaming at Weiner, who is openly gay and Jewish
Yakoushkin filmed Weiner for just over two minutes as the senator walked through the march, before the video was posted online.
‘Scott Weiner showed up to the trans march and for the first time we kicked his a** out,’ Yakoushkin wrote alongside the post. ‘It’s sad because while he’s written some good legislation for queers, he’s ultimately a genocidal-supporting center right shill.’
‘Trigger warning: broken man walking away defeated. Vote Connie!’
Weiner is currently in the middle of a race against San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to succeed Representative Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives.
The video quickly racked up thousands of views and attracted attention from the likes of failed Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, who wrote on X: ‘See the look on the Wiener guy’s face? That’s the realization that his Frankenstein ain’t going back in the grave.’
‘Every communist revolutionary thinks they’ll have a seat at the table of power…in reality, they’re always the first against the wall,’ Pratt added.
In a statement on X, Weiner condemned the confrontation and said: ‘Last night I attended the trans march, as I’ve done each year for the past 22 years since the first march in 2004. I attend each year in solidarity with our trans siblings, who are facing existential threats from right wing extremists, including the President.’
‘It has been a deep honor to partner for many years with trans people to advance legislation and budget requests to support the community. As I walked through Dolores Park to participate in a trans-led Pride Shabbat service in connection with the trans march, a group of people began screaming at me, ran up to me, surrounded me, and began harassing me, both verbally and physically, including physical contact.
Weiner condemned the confrontation, and said ‘a group of people began screaming at me, ran up to me, surrounded me, and began harassing me, both verbally and physically…San Francisco, we’re better than that’
Weiner said he has attended the trans march every year since 2004 ‘in solidarity with our trans siblings, who are facing existential threats from right wing extremists, including the President’
Attendees of the march on Friday seen holding a banner for the san Francisco AIDS Foundation
‘They made statements about my ‘Israeli handlers,’ among many other inaccurate, extreme, and vile statements. They were so physically and verbally aggressive that it was impossible for me to safely remain in the park. As a result, I left the park and, for the very first time, did not participate in the trans march.’
The incident at Dolores Park followed another confrontation on Wednesday night during a World Cup game, after a man ‘accosted’ Weiner in the corner of the bar and ‘screamed abuse’ at him before he was thrown out.
‘After being ejected, the man remained outside the bar, shouting my name and pounding on the side of the bar near where I was sitting for several minutes. The same individual, in December 2023, stalked me on a plane and in an airport, shouting at me about my “tainted bloodline,”‘ Weiner’s statement continued.
‘I have no objection whatsoever to anyone disagreeing with me, opposing me, or protesting me. All of that is core to democracy. I also have no issue when people talk to me on the street and ask questions or express opposition. That’s democracy, even when the people engaging in this conduct misrepresent my views.
‘But when opposition and disagreement transition to harassment, including cornering me, touching me, or trying to physically bully me out of a public event, that crosses a line. We’re living in a time when violence is all too often threatened or used against people in public life. In San Francisco, we’re better than that.’
Yakoushkin, however, further slammed Weiner on X after users jabbed ‘the hate-filled left’ for turning on one of their own. Yakoushkin instead claimed that the senator is ‘no leftie.’
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‘Bro Scott isn’t left. He’s definitely not progressive. He’s liberal on one (popular in SF) social issue and is a deregulating, tax-break-for-the-wealthy, pro-genocide Log Cabin Republican. He’s center-right on a good day and not “one of our own,”‘ they wrote.
Weiner has championed a number of legislative accomplishments in the California Senate, focusing on issues such as housing and health affordability, immigration and public safety, transportation, mental health, the climate crisis and LGBTQ+ issues.
The march on Friday began in Dolores Park, and is said to be the city’s largest transgender Pride event and one of the largest trans events in the world
Weiner is currently in the middle of a race against San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to succeed Representative Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives
The incident at Dolores Park followed another on Wednesday during a World Cup game, after a man ‘accosted’ Weiner in a bar and ‘screamed abuse’ at him before he was thrown out
The pressure on the senator at the recent pride event was met by some with confusion, as just months ago the lawmaker publicly condemned Israel for committing ‘genocide.’
Weiner posted a video on social media on January 11 earlier this year, accusing Israel of genocide just days after hesitating to do so during a congressional candidate forum.
‘For many Jews, associating the word genocide with the Jewish state of Israel is deeply painful and frankly traumatic, but despite that pain and that trauma, we all have eyes… and we all have ears,’ he said in the video posted on X.
‘To me, the Israeli government has tried to destroy Gaza and to push Palestinians out, and that qualifies as genocide.’
The video also received large amounts of backlash, including groups such as the Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Bay Area, the American Jewish Committee and a local Holocaust education center.
‘Unfortunately, Senator Weiner’s newly stated position is both incorrect and lacks moral clarity,’ the groups said, according to The Times of Israel.
‘The devastation throughout this war – including the loss of life in Gaza and Southern Israel – has been felt by us all. Yet framing this conflict in reductionist and inflammatory terms fuels further hostility toward our community.’
Sam Yebri, a Persian Jewish pro-Israel attorney and Los Angeles influencer, wrote on social media that Weiner has ‘no business being co-Chair of the CA Legislative Jewish Caucus.’
The pressure on the senator at the recent pride event was met by some with confusion, as just months ago the lawmaker publicly condemned Israel for committing ‘genocide’
Weiner stepped down as leader of the California state legislature’s Jewish caucus in February, citing his campaign and backlash over his comments on Israel.
‘Last fall, I suggested stepping down but was asked to stay to provide continuity of leadership during a difficult time for the Jewish community,’ he said, the outlet reported.
‘Now, my campaign is accelerating, and my recent statements on Israel and Gaza have led to significant controversy in the Jewish community. The time to transition has arrived.’
The pride event on Friday saw other moments of unrest, including an incident of vandalism and assault on Market Street.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, two officers were injured as five people were detained during the march at around 7pm for vandalizing property with paint.
Another person was seen to have been assault and had paint sprayed on them, police said.
The suspect fled on foot from the scene before police were kept from reaching them as the crowd surrounded the law enforcement crew. Two officers who ‘provided crowd control’ were assaulted and injured during the confrontation, KRON 4 reported.
Three people were arrested for assault and vandalism and two more for obstruction.
The event saw other moments of unrest, including an incident of vandalism and assault on Market Street, seen above during the 2022 Pride Parade, resulting in the arrests of five people
‘The SFPD will always protect the First Amendment right to peacefully protest. Criminal activity will not be tolerated,’ the SFPD said in a statement.
‘We remain unwavering in our support of the LGBTQ+ community and are committed to protecting and serving every community in San Francisco.’
On Saturday, Mayor Daniel Lurie said on social media: ‘I want to ensure everyone that safety remains my first priority throughout this weekend’s Pride events. Volunteers, city workers, and law enforcement officers will be across the city to make sure that the parade runs smoothly. Let’s look out for each other as we celebrate our incredible LGBTQ+ community.’
Police said they were still investigating the incident.
The Daily Mail reached out to the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco Trans March and Senator Scott Weiner for comment.
