Protesters in SF oppose charges against 18 people arrested at Castro block party during Pride

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Nearly a month after San Francisco celebrated Pride weekend, people are protesting the arrests that came with it.

Eighteen people are now facing charges tied to an unsanctioned block party the night before the parade.

We spoke with protesters who say police and prosecutors crossed a line.

Protesters rallied in the Castro on Friday after 18 people were arrested during an unpermitted Pride weekend event, with some calling for police to be barred from future Pride celebrations and for charges against those arrested to be dropped.

The arrests occurred on the Saturday night of Pride weekend on June 27 during the annual Stud Alley party. San Francisco police said the event was "unsanctioned and unpermitted" and that officers were attempting to break it up for a second time that night when the arrests were made.

The department said during the incident, two officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries. SFPD says there was anti-police graffiti spray-painted on walls and makeshift barricades.

"At a Pride event outside, people are dancing when they decide to show up in riot gear, because they knew of the event. In rows, riot gear, shoulder to shoulder, are police and just start arresting people," said San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Jess McPeake, who is representing one of those arrested.

McPeake said they believe the charges reflect the approach of District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

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"She wants San Francisco to not be a place that has loud voices, to not be a place that has joy without permits," McPeake said.

According to McPeake, prosecutors have charged all 18 people with three offenses.

"The district attorney is charging all 18 people with three things: failure to disperse, unlawful assembly and resisting an officer," McPeake said.

The Stud Alley party has drawn attention in previous years. In 2023, there was thousands of dollars worth of damage reported in the surrounding area. Police said that during this year's event, two officers were injured while breaking up the gathering and that graffiti was painted on walls.

McPeake said they had not seen evidence supporting vandalism allegations in the current case.

"As far as vandalism, I haven't seen any of that. The charges aren't there," McPeake said.

Friday's protesters also demanded that police be banned from future Pride events, a position McPeake said they support.

When asked what they would say to people who believe the arrests were justified, McPeake said: "I would say, first of all, that would be like, if I wrote on this wall right now with chalk that's erasable -- that's breaking the law. That's a vandalism. Is that really as a city what we want to be charging crimes with?"

The district attorney had not spoken publicly about the case. The arraignment for the 18 people charged is scheduled for Aug. 25.