Proclamation by the Mayor Declaring the Existence of a Local Emergency
PROCLAMATION BY THE MAYOR DECLARING
THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY
WHEREAS, California Government Code Sections 8550 et seq., San Francisco Charter Section 3.100(14), and Chapter 7 of the San Francisco Administrative Code empower the Mayor to proclaim the existence of a local emergency, subject to concurrence by the Board of Supervisors as provided in the Charter, in the case of an emergency threatening the lives, property or welfare of the City and County or its citizens; and
WHEREAS, On May 25, 2020, police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota forcibly arrested an unarmed black Minneapolis resident named George Floyd. The officers placed Mr. Floyd prone on the ground and a police officer pressed his knee against Mr. Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes while Mr. Floyd repeatedly stated that he could not breathe. After about six minutes in this position, Mr. Floyd became unresponsive, and he was declared deceased after paramedics arrived. This incident was captured on a video that was widely disseminated and caused outrage across the country and around the world; and
WHEREAS, The day after Mr. Floyd’s death, protestors began to assemble in Minneapolis demanding the officers involved be criminally charged. The protests in Minneapolis continued over the course of the next several days, leading to confrontations with law enforcement, looting, and vandalization and arson of businesses and government buildings. Protests have spread to many other cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, Oakland, San Jose and San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, On May 29, 2020, a protest in Oakland turned into dangerous civil unrest, with people blocking streets, shutting down the Bay Bridge, and looting various businesses. The violence increased, resulting in the death of a Federal Protective Service Officer in Oakland and leaving another officer critically injured; and
WHEREAS, On May 30, 2020, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a local state of emergency and issued a curfew order; and
WHEREAS, On May 30, 2020, protests in San Francisco began peacefully, but later in the evening looters broke into the Westfield Centre and other retail businesses in the Union Square area, and several fires were set across the City, including at stores on Market Street. Some in the crowd defaced buildings and ATM machines, pulled down signs and barriers, stacked trash bins in the street, and smashed windows; and
WHEREAS, Protests are anticipated to continue in the City over the next several days. The City encourages residents to peaceably assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights. In light of the potential for continued civil unrest and violence, it is necessary to take steps to ensure the City is adequately prepared to protect its residents and businesses from further peril; and
WHEREAS, Conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen; and
WHEREAS, The Mayor does hereby proclaim that the aforesaid conditions of extreme peril warrant and necessitate the proclamation of the existence of a local emergency,
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, London N. Breed, Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, proclaim the existence, effective immediately on May 31, 2020, of an emergency within the City and County threatening the lives, property or welfare of the City and County and its citizens.
It is further ordered that:
(1) All City and County officers and employees take all steps requested by the Chief of Police or the Sheriff to address the emergency and to prevent or end violations of any curfew orders issued by the Mayor under this emergency declaration; and
(2) All City and County officers and employees take all steps requested by the Chief of Police or Sheriff to qualify the City for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and for other state and federal relief as may be available to reimburse the City for the expenses it incurs in addressing this emergency; and
(3) By the terms of this emergency declaration the government of the City and County of San Francisco is organized under the provisions of the Incident Command System (ICS), which system forms an essential part of the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. The head of each City department and agency shall observe his or her proper relationship in the command structure outlined by the system and shall respond to the orders and requests of the Lead Department designated to exercise supervision over his or her department during the course of this emergency; and
(4) Because of the extreme peril to its residents and visitors, the Governor of the State of California is hereby requested to include the area of the City and County of San Francisco in any emergency declaration by the State, and is further requested to ensure that the City and County is included in any emergency declaration that may be issued by the President of the United States.
And I further proclaim and order that:
This declaration of a local emergency shall continue to exist until it is terminated by the Mayor or the Board of Supervisors. All departments of the City and County of San Francisco are strictly ordered to cooperate with the requests for material and personnel resources that may emanate from the Incident Command Staff of the City and County which is located in the Emergency Command Center of the City and County of San Francisco.
DATED: May 31, 2020