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The continued nationwide protests against the grand jury decision in Ferguson, MO spilled over to SF on Black Friday, as a group of protesters took to the streets in Union Square and the Mission to express their anger with the lack of a trial in the shooting of Michael Brown. While the protesters claimed they were exclusively targeting corporations for vandalism, they did damage one local business: Beretta, the popular pizza and cocktail spot at 23rd and Valencia.
Brooke McLaughlin, Beretta's hostess, told Mission Local that around 10:30 pm on Friday (an hour when the restaurant is still usually bumping), a lone protester wearing a bandanna over his face smashed the restaurant's window with a U-Lock. "People were crying," said McLaughlin of the incident, after which nearly half of the restaurant's diners left. (The remaining group was seated in the back, away from the broken window.) Someone on social media also reported looting at the restaurant, but there appears to be no evidence of that. Looting did occur, however, at the Mission location of Radio Shack, which was damaged by protesters just before Beretta; Bank of America and a CBS News van also suffered damage. The protests come on the heels of similar actions in Oakland, where local restaurants Beauty's Bagel Shop and Genova Delicatessen sustained damage last week.
Protesters in San Francisco ruin dinner at Beretta on 23rd & Valencia. 2 busted windows #sfprotest @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/r0oNSoyOly
— Felipe Escamilla (@IronFeep) November 29, 2014
