Politicians at the Chinatown Safety Resource Fair on Saturday expressed growing concerns over their personal safety and the rising tide of online hate speech in the wake of the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi.
In comments to a group of reporters before they addressed members of the public at the annual event, which was launched when now-Vice President Kamala Harris was San Francisco’s D.A., State Sen. Scott Wiener, Mayor London Breed and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said that Friday’s events called into question the safety of politicians at all levels.
“I’m definitely worried,” Breed said. “It makes me uncomfortable, and it makes me nervous.”
“This has rattled our local politicans,” Jenkins said, “and rightfully so.”
Wiener, angered by the incident, called it the “direct result” of the incitement of violence by right wing politicians and media.
“People get brainwashed with conspiracy theories and they target people like Pelosi and myself,” the Democratic lawmaker, who represents San Francisco and a northern slice of San Mateo County said. “Words have consequences.”
Wiener added that he’s worried about social media’s impact on spreading harmful rhetoric, especially targeting specific politicians. He added that while he sees Twitter now as one of the more proactive platforms in removing violent language and hate speech, he’s worried that with Elon Musk in charge it will become an “absolute cesspool of threats and intimidation.”
Widening his scope, Wiener suggested that Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene should have been removed from Congress after saying that Nancy Pelosi was a traitor whose actions should be “punishable by death.” He also said Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy should have done more to denounce violence and that Tucker Carlson should not have a program on Fox News.
In 2021, CNN reviewed Greene’s social media posts before she was elected and reported that she “repeatedly indicated support for executing prominent Democratic politicians in 2018 and 2019.”
CNN surfaced a video from that period in which Green said: “[Pelosi’s] a traitor to our country, she’s guilty of treason. She took an oath to protect American citizens and uphold our laws and she gives aid and comfort to our enemies who illegally invade our land — that’s what treason is.”
“And by our law, representatives and senators can be kicked out and no longer serve in our government, and it’s a crime punishable by death is what treason is. Nancy Pelosi is guilty of treason and we want her out of our government.”
CNN reported Greene’s remarks were in response to Pelosi saying she would not back former President Donald Trump’s attempts to build a border wall.
Wiener declined to discuss his own security, but he said, “There does need to be more protection for elected officials, which is hard because there are a lot of us.”
On Sept. 15, a San Ramon man who threatened Wiener’s life over vaccine legislation was convicted on seven charges, including several firearms violations, in Contra Costa County. Prosecutors said that on Jan. 22, Erik Triana, 51, contacted Wiener through the senator’s website with a message that read: “Vax my kids without my permission and expect a visit from me and my rifle.”
Wiener had introduced a bill days earlier allowing minors who are at least 15 and to get vaccinated and recieve other medical care without parental consent. Wiener later withdrew the bill, saying it likely didn’t have enough votes to pass.
Breed said that she’s spoken to police about ways to improve safety to prevent attacks from happening in the future, including keeping a close eye on social media to monitor hate speech and online threats.
“We have to make sure that we have what we need around security,” she said. “We need to make sure that this doesn’t happen again, especially as easily as it did.”
She added that the incident also forces a change in how officials and cities think about mental health and getting people with severe issues the help and the support that they need.
“After the pandemic everything changed,” she said. “There does seem to be a lot more aggressive behavior that crosses the line.”
Both Wiener and the mayor said they worried the violence against officials, and in particular their families, makes it harder for people to go into public service.
“There are so many people who should run for office that don’t because they fear for their safety” Wiener said. “That is a tragedy.”
Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev
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Wiener blames right wing for Pelosi attack, says Twitter may become 'cesspool of threats' - San Francisco Chronicle
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