Mayor Breed shouted at event honoring victim of police violence

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Dozens of people gathered on the steps of San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday to pay tribute to Tyre Nichols, a recent victim of police violence in Memphis, whose body was then buried.

Conceived as a show of solidarity, “Kneeling Before Tyre” was far from harmonious.

A screaming fight broke out over how the city should prosecute San Francisco Police Department members involved in the fatal shooting. Protesters yelled at Mayor London Breed until she left the podium before wrapping up her speech.

Leading the protests was April Green, the aunt of Keita O’Neil, a suspect who was fatally shot by SFPD officer Christopher Samayoa in 2017.

“You don’t even care about your city,” Green yelled at the mayor. “You don’t even hold your own police accountable.

Breed attempted to talk to Green but, unable to establish control, eventually left the podium. Event organizer Felicia Jones, founder of the activist group Wealth and Disparities, took the microphone. Greene and a small group of allies eventually withdrew, citing their own security concerns.

Green said she was asked not to perform at the event. In particular, she argued that the organizers of “Kneeling for a Tire” did not want to see ardent opponents of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on the same stage.

In addition to Breed, Supervisor Shamann Walton spoke in tribute to Tyre Nichols, who grew up in Sacramento and then moved to Tennessee.

On January 7, Nichols was pulled over by Memphis police for a traffic stop, the incident resulted in five police officers beating him and spraying him with pepper spray. Three days later, he died from his injuries. He was 29 years old and had a 4 year old son.

All five Memphis cops who have since been fired from the Memphis Police Department have been charged in connection with the case with counts of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, misconduct and official harassment.

Two of the offices involved — Desmond Mills Jr. and Demetrius Haley — were found to have a history of using excessive physical force to carry out arrests during their respective 2019 and 2021 incidents, according to The New York Times.

Tyre Nichols’ funeral in Memphis was held on Wednesday, attended by the eulogist Rev. Al Sharpton and Vice President Kamala Harris.

This is an evolving story.

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