Two La Raza-linked community organizer groups that repeatedly disrupted a San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday night to discuss expanding the city’s “sanctuary city” policies forced Breitbart News lead investigative reporter Lee Stranahan from the gallery.
The Breitbart reporter was removed after leaders in the group complained that Stranahan was shooting video of the group’s disruptions.
Stranahan was at the meeting to cover the scheduled vote. San Francisco’s lenience towards illegal aliens came under close scrutiny after last year’s shooting death of a young woman, Kate Steinle, by an illegal immigrant who had previously been convicted of crimes and deported several times.
However, supervisor John Avalos proposed expanding the sanctuary city policy in response to recent rhetoric by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump against illegal immigration.
At the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting, all attendees were notified in English, Spanish and Chinese not to stand, shout or applaud, and that such demonstrations might lead to removal from the meeting.
While shooting video of the proceeding, Stranahan heard a number of demonstrations and outbursts of applause from the audience during a statement by Avalos. Stranahan turned his camera to record what was happening.
At one point, a woman (in violation of the Board rules) stood up and sat down next to Stranahan to block his camera.
The woman was wearing a T-shirt from the Oakland-based community organizing group “Causa Justa :: Just Cause” or CJJC, which describes themselves as follows:
We are Causa Justa :: Just Cause (CJJC), a multi-racial, grassroots organization building community leadership to achieve justice for low-income San Francisco and Oakland residents.
A look at the CJJC’s 2014 form 990 shows that the group received over $2 million in grants that year alone. At least some of that grant money comes from the group Centro Legal de Raza,which describes itself:
Founded in 1969, Centro Legal de la Raza is a comprehensive legal services agency protecting and advancing the rights of immigrant, low-income, and Latino communities through bilingual legal representation, education, and advocacy. By combining quality legal services with know-your-rights education and youth development, Centro Legal promotes access to justice for thousands of individuals and families each year throughout Northern and Central California.
Before the meeting, the group held a protest outside with a banner.
During the meeting, the woman with the Causa Justa :: Just Cause shirt continued to attempt to block Stranahan’s camera as he recorded the outbursts from the activists. One female organizer yelled for Stranahan to stop, even though he was not violating any rule by filming the audience at a public meeting.
The woman with the Causa Justa :: Just Cause shirt continued to interfere with Stranahan, at one point pushing his camera. Stranahan made it clear to her that this was unacceptable.
As the woman continued to block Stranahan, another woman reported him to security, and he was asked to leave the room. The protestors shouted “get out!” at Stranahan, who was given no explanation as to why he was being asked to leave.
The Board of Supervisors postponed last night’s scheduled vote on the sanctuary city initiative.
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