event company in SF arranged for private crew to cart belongings of homeless to the dump
SF tech conference host conducts unauthorized homeless sweep
Since the pandemic hit in March, San Francisco has put the pause on homeless encampment sweeps, in which authorities seize tents and belongings. But that didn't stop one company from conducting their own unsanctioned clearing of a homeless encampment behind a former Honda dealership on Market Street.
Non Plus Ultra, a luxury event company, did just that early on Thursday, Sept. 10, according to the San Francisco Public Press. The company is providing an event space for TechCrunchs Disrupt, a conference for tech startups that began yesterday and usually brings thousands of attendees into the city. This year, TechCrunch is screening the conference virtually, but the event space on Market Street is being used as a filming stage for the event.
The sweep displaced eight people who lost belongings ranging from stimulus and unemployment checks to an urn containing one person's fathers ashes, the SF Public Press reported. Two Facebook Live videos of the sweep show workers filling trucks with mattresses, tents, bicycles and bags. The San Francisco Police Department confirmed to SF Public Press that officers were sent to the scene, but did not speak with anyone present or file an incident report.
Non Plus Ultra told SF Public Press that the sweep was conducted because the tents were blocking the sidewalk at the back of the building and were causing a serious health, safety, and fire hazard. TechCrunch denies taking part in or requesting the sweep.
A lawyer who is investigating the case from the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights referred to the independent sweep as blatantly illegal.
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/SF-tech-conference-host-conducts-unauthorized-15572369.php