More than 100 people gathered outside City Hall Tuesday afternoon in support of a Board of Supervisors resolution calling on Congress to impeach President Trump.
The resolution was introduced by District 1 Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer, and written in conjunction with the Brightline Defense Project and Indivisible San Francisco.
San Francisco is the fourth city in the Bay Area to formally call for Trump’s impeachment. Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and Richmond have passed similar resolutions.
“I think we need to let people know that we’ve had enough,” said Maria Conway, a resident of San Mateo. “He is unfit to be president. He is just not a good person to be running our country. I want him out.”
Conway is an immigrant and said she experienced overt racism for the first time after Trump’s election. She cited an increase in racism and bigotry as one of her main concerns.
“[The Trump Administration is] causing racial hatred with the Muslim ban, and now he [Trump] has dropped the ball for the DREAMers,” said Cindy Sugawara, a retired teacher. “The only good thing that he’s doing is to get everyone to…stand up for justice.”
Esperanza Cuautle, director of operations at Pangea Legal Services, spoke at the rally and cited her own experiences as an undocumented immigrant and DACA recipient as reason for supporting Fewer's resolution.
“Bay Area cities that offer sanctuary protection for immigrants are being targeted. ICE is using more aggressive tactics to apprehend individuals than before,” said Cuautle. “This is our duty to show disapproval of the strategies that are uncontrollably destroying our families and pitting each one of us against each other.”
“I think inclusivity and diversity is a strength of our country,” said Christine Wei, a member of Indivisible San Francisco. “San Francisco is beautiful because of immigrants. To not have [immigrants] would make this a much less captivating place.”
A number of attendees cited as a complaint the Trump Administration’s delay in sending aid to Puerto Rico after the recent hurricane.
“Puerto Rico is a microcosm of everything in this country and this government,” said Steve Rapport, a member of the leadership council of Indivisible San Francisco. “[We are] trying to put pressure on Congress to do their job, and investigate the actions of the President.”
San Leandro resident Rick Crosby also cited Puerto Rico among his list of grievances. “I want nothing to do with this guy,” said Crosby. “I’m ashamed to be a veteran anymore.”
The resolution lists a number of reasons for urging Congress to begin impeachment proceedings, including “obstruction of justice” and “violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause," which prevents officials from accepting payments or gifts from foreign countries.
The resolution refers to the president's attempts to influence former FBI director James Comey during an ongoing FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
The resolution has seven co-sponsors, but only needs six votes to pass and will come to a vote at next week’s meeting on Tuesday, October 31.
