Charges Filed After Unlawful Block Party During Pride Weekend

On Wednesday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that 18 individuals face charges related to unlawful assembly and resisting arrest following an unauthorized block party that took place over Pride weekend.

On June 27, police in riot gear descended on a gathering in what’s known as Stud Alley, leading to chaos and the arrest of 20 people.

Stud Alley has been an unofficial block party for six years, celebrated annually in San Francisco’s South of Market district during Pride. Last year, the event attracted hundreds of attendees, but police opted to monitor rather than dismantle it.

This year, however, organizers decided to cancel the event, even posting that “Every alley is a stud alley.” Despite that, a large gathering still occurred.

At around 10:58 p.m. that night, officers stumbled upon an unauthorized celebration drawing about 300 people, complete with a DJ, on Kissling Street. Police issued a dispersal order, labeling the gathering an unlawful assembly.

While the DJ complied with the order, attendees did not. According to reports, two individuals resisted and were arrested.

Subsequently, another group of around 200 people reconvened on Washburn Street, leading police to shut it down as well. Authorities noted that makeshift barricades were set up to obstruct officers’ access.

Social media footage captured police in large numbers, wielding batons and shouting at the crowd to disperse amidst considerable noise and conflict.

The same 18 people arrested earlier were taken into custody again, and two officers sustained minor injuries during the altercations. The investigation remains active, Jenkins stated.

In addition to the confrontations, reports surfaced of vandalism occurring that night. Walls at both locations bore anti-police graffiti featuring messages like “F-SFPD” and “Pigs Suffocate to Death.” Video footage also revealed two Waymo vehicles that had been vandalized and rendered unusable.

These incidents weren’t isolated to Stud Alley. A trans march in the city also escalated into violence, with participants damaging police vehicles while authorities attempted to arrest a suspected graffiti artist.

LGBTQ activists and allies have openly criticized police involvement. In response, Socialist City Supervisor Jackie Fielder submitted an inquiry to the mayor’s office, expressing concerns over the aggressive nature of the police response during both the Trans March and Stud Alley events.

Fielder remarked on her worry after seeing footage documenting the confrontation between officers and participants in Pride activities.