Rally calls for justice after San Francisco native Brandon Lee shot in The Philippines

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Friday, August 9, 2019
Rally calls for justice in shooting of SF native in The Philippines
A rally was held on the steps of San Francisco City Hall after a native of the city was shot in The Philippines this week.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A rally was held on the steps of San Francisco City Hall after a native of the city was shot in the Philippines this week.

Brandon Lee is a journalist and environmental rights advocate who has been living in Ifugao, Philippines. He is in critical condition following four gunshots to his back and spine early Tuesday morning.

Lee is the first U.S. citizen believed to be the target of an extra-judicial assassination attempt by the regime of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, according to the office of San Francisco Supervisor Gordon Mar.

Prior to the shooting, Lee was "red-tagged" by the Philippine military in 2015 for his advocacy to protect the land and rights of indigenous people in the Cordilleras, and has been subject to surveillance and threats over the past four years, Mar's office said.

Lee serves as a paralegal for the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance. He grew up in the Sunset District where his family still lives, and attended Lincoln High School and San Francisco State University.