Viral Video Prompts San Francisco To Change Soccer Rules At Mission Playground
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Outrage about a soccer field confrontation at Mission Playground between Dropbox tech workers and Latino youth has prompted San Francisco's top park official to change the policy about permits and fees to use the field.
"The field will be available for open community play from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. every day, including Sunday evenings," said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.
The executive order did little to dissipate the anger of the dozens who packed the Rec and Park Commission meeting on Thursday to register their discontent with park fees specifically and gentrification in general throughout the city.
The crowd included several students in from the Sept. 25 video that went viral which shows Dropbox employees waiving a permit and kicking the teenagers off the field.
The company later issued an apology on behalf of its workers.
The complaints voiced to the Commission ranged far from permitting at Mission Field. Many remain critical of "pay-to-play" programs that they say privatizes public resources.
Ginsburg noted San Francisco has added nearly 80,000 hours of available playtime at fields throughout the city, but acknowledged there was clearly more demand.