Update: Outdoor meeting on San Francisco fentanyl crisis quickly dissolves into chaotic shouting match
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors planned to question Mayor London Breed in a first-of-its-kind outdoor hearing, right in the heart of the city's challenges with drug addiction and drug dealing. It didn't last long.
The mayor's monthly question-and-answer session with city supervisors was held in United Nations Plaza on Tuesday afternoon. It ended in chaos and someone being taken away by police.
"I mean, I live right across the street so I see a lot of things," said Deano, who lives right by the plaza. "My front yard is this. My backyard is this."
A lot of people were wondering what was going to happen, but no one has a bigger stake in this neighborhood's future than those who live here. Deano was among those who got here early, hoping to hear what the mayor had to say.
"You know they should be held accountable," he said. "You know, accountability needs to step in, and I need to find some way to stop the drug deals on the streets."
As two o'clock approached, San Francisco's city government poured in, but theywere not alone. There were leaders from the non-profit community, recovery advocates, effectively a who's who of people involves in the city's drug conversation -- all in the plaza that has become known as the epicenter of the city's drug crisis.
"A spot that has long been challenged and I hope that today's dialogue focuses some urgency around the crisis on our street,"Supervisor Aaron Peskin said at the start of the event.
And for a few minutes, things did go according to plan as the mayor gave her opening remarks.
"I am putting everything on the line," Mayor London Breed told the crowd. "I am doing this job without fear of losing it because at the end of the day when you know what it feels like to grow up in chaos you want nothing more than change."
As she spoke about the crisis, it continued right in the midst of the event as Public Health workers assisted a man in distress right beside the crowd. And then, there was the crowd which eventually became disruptive.
"Alright, let me ask my question," Peskin told those shouting. "You will have an opportunity for public comment."
"The fact is, I'm not sure without listening to the public that this is going to be the right form to be able to answer your question thoroughly," Breed said after a few moments.
"We will recess this meeting to the Board of Supervisors' chamber," Peskin declared, ending the outdoor proceedings.
As the meeting was disbanded, some real trouble started.
Witnesses describe someone pulling out a brick, and attempting to throw it, before being subdued by the crowd and eventually police; It was a chaotic conclusion to a very brief discussion about how to wind down the chaos in this part of San Francisco.
"I'm very disappointed," Deano said. "Because she came out here. People waited patiently. You have those who are gonna be a butthole, that's going to interfere. I couldn't even hear it. A lot of wasted time. A lot of waste of time."
