Protest outside Sacramento city manager’s house is peaceful with no arrests, police say
There were no arrests or major incidents during a two-hour-long protest outside the Sacramento city manager’s North Natomas home Sunday night, police said.
The planned protest was criticized by the Sacramento City Council after a flyer now deleted from social media circulated over the weekend with City Manager Howard Chan’s face printed in the center in the style of a wanted poster. Below, in red font resembling dripping blood, is Chan’s name.
In an unanimously signed letter posted online, all sitting City Council members and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg characterized the planned protest as a “campaign of intimidation.” They named the “Sactivists” group as those who were circulating the protest flyer.
On Sunday afternoon, the Sactivists group announced on Twitter that the creators of the flier intended to make a political statement bringing attention to Chan’s record as city manager.
“Though we did not create the fliers or organize the events, we can recognize its impacts upon fellow community members,” the group wrote in a Twitter post. “We do acknowledge that the graphic may be triggering and the intent for the flier was not to spread ‘Anti-Asian’ sentiment.”
The group said they also acknowledge the harm felt by some who identify as “Asian-Pacific Islander” who were hurt by the flyer amid recent violence against their community.
“We respect a diversity of tactics and will not tell independent activists how to move, but we will encourage all activists to do better in communicating with their (allies) and taking into consideration intent (versus) impact,” the group said.
Protesters are targeting Chan over his handling of police officers accused of misconduct on the job. The city manager has previously come under fire for not firing either of the two officers who shot 22-year-old Stephon Clark, who in 2018 was killed in his grandmother’s Meadowview backyard with a cellphone in his hand. No charges were filed against either officer after several investigations.
Activists have previously called for Chan’s removal over his handling of this and other fatal shootings in the city. The flyer says that Chan is wanted “by the sovereign people of Sacramento for gross negligence resulting in severe loss of life.”
The letter from the City Council referenced Saturday’s caravan in south Sacramento — a demonstration against anti-Asian hate amid escalating acts of racist violence in the country — as an exemplary form of peaceful protest. Prior to the release of the joint statement, councilwoman Mai Vang wrote a thread on Twitter, warning that the planned protest at Chan’s home comes at a time of heightened anti-Asian sentiment.
Sunday’s protest was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Elderberry Park, according to the flyer. Protesters began to arrive shortly after 8 p.m. and marched from the park to Chan’s house, near Alpena Street and Dalhart Way.
Police presence was heavy in the neighborhood. A group of bicycle officers were seen lining the front of Chan’s house, blocking access to the small cluster of protesters, who were gathered in the street and mostly dressed in black.
The Sacramento Police Department announced on Twitter that officers were monitoring the “small group of demonstrators” as they marched near Elderberry Park. Shortly after 10 p.m., police said the protesters returned to their starting point and were dispersing. The crowd left the area about 15 minutes later and police said there were no major incidents and no arrests to report.
This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 1:35 PM.
