Rally Against Alleged Hate Crime

By Paul Kozakiewicz

Community leaders came together Aug. 11 to protest an alleged hate crime that occurred on Taraval Street.

On June 6 police broke up a beer party in Sigmund Stern Grove, scattering a group of white males who were drinking there. Some of the males went up to 19th Avenue and Taraval Street, where they allegedly attacked a small group of Chinese youth while yelling racial epithets. When police arrived, they only arrested one of the estimated 20 youth who participated in the attack.

The arrested youth was released the day after the attack because it was a "simple assault" and the first offense for the 16-year-old youth.

But the release of the youth was viewed as lenient - without any charges being levied for a hate crime - because he was released shortly after a volunteer at the Youth Guidance Center visited the center.

At the Aug. 11 meeting held on the steps of City Hall to protest the attack, numerous city dignitaries spoke, including SF Mayor Willie Brown Jr., Acting Police Chief Alex Fagan, Assistant Chief Heather Fong, Taraval Police Capt. Keith Sanford, supervisors Fiona Ma, Matt Gonzalez, Bevan Dufty and Tom Ammiano and District Attorney Terence Hallinan.

Julie Lee, housing commissioner and head of the SF Neighbors' Association, organized the rally.

"We want justice," Lee said.

Fagan said the Special Investigation Unit would lead the investigation. He said the unit has been assigned 48 cases this year; with 11 of them involving alleged hate crimes against Asians.

Most of the speakers at the rally praised the diversity of the City and said they would not stand for any type of hate crime.

Hallinan said there would be a full investigation and that everything would be above-board.

"There will be no cover-up," he said.

The mayor agreed.

"This matter is being aggressively pursued," Brown said. "Any evidence of hate will be turned over to prosecutors. San Francisco is a hate-free city."