Hundreds counter planned protest against sanctuary cities in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Hundreds of protesters countered a planned march in San Francisco against sanctuary cities.

"I'm here supporting our President and I'm here standing up against the radical left that supports protecting criminal aliens at the expense of American citizens," Fight Sanctuary State group member Ben Bergquam said.

The protest called to end sanctuary cities to protect Americans.

The group of about 30 people was met with dozens of demonstrators resisting their message of what they call "hate and racism."

"We're here to stand up to anti-immigrant bigotry, and we're here to say no to Donald Trump and his whole racist program of scapegoating, demonizing and deporting our immigrant brothers and sisters," Refuse Fascism group member Rafael Kadaris said.

San Francisco stirred an already heated debate about sanctuary cities when undocumented immigrant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was charged with shooting and killing Kate Steinle in 2015.

City officials released him from custody before the shooting on Pier 14 without turning him over to immigration authorities.