The area around the Moscone Centre where delegations from 21 economies are meeting was walled off by tall black fences. And on some streets local police, California Highway Patrol, Secret Service and for-hire security guards outnumbered pedestrians.
“I haven’t seen it like this since Haight-Ashbury days,” said Curtiss Hayden, a “welcome ambassador” in an orange jacket, referring to a neighbourhood known for its long-standing hippy activism, standing near a loud demonstration.
A few steps away near the crossroads of Third and Mission streets, a couple of hundred pro-China demonstrators gathered on a terraced fountain waving Chinese flags. Speakers with blown woofers belonging to the pro-China group blared out recordings of the Chinese national anthem and cries of “jia you” or “go for it” that could be heard blocks away.
San Francisco mocked in China for moving homeless away from Apec summit venue
San Francisco mocked in China for moving homeless away from Apec summit venue
“It’s very loud,” said a mystified bystander. “Is that really them or a recording?” Nearby, protester jackets and banners identified participants as members of the China Anti-Cult World Alliance and the New York Shandong Association.
A handful of critics, meanwhile, held signs aloft calling for human rights, justice and property rights in China. At one point a critic held out a sign and a pro-China demonstrator blocked it with a huge Chinese flag, leading to a fight involving nearly a dozen people using flags and signs as battering rams before police broke it up.
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US President Biden talks potential minerals partnership with Indonesian counterpart Widodo
US President Biden talks potential minerals partnership with Indonesian counterpart Widodo
The draw of 25,000 registered journalists descending on San Francisco and the resulting global attention has attracted politicians, civic groups and attention seekers from far and wide this week.
Congressman Mike Gallagher from Wisconsin, chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, flew into town and held an impromptu press conference on Saturday.
“I think it’s a great idea. I’ve been concerned about the tensions over Taiwan,” she said. “The first thing is opening the lines of communication. I don’t believe bullying works.”
Helen Ji Li, an educator and climate justice activist born in China, stopped journalists covering the demonstration, her two daughters in tow. “Say the poem,” she said to her eldest daughter Emily, 9, who dutifully blurted out several lines on the importance of peace, love and unity, barely audible over the roar.
Li, who flew in from Boston for the event, said she wasn’t sure what to make of the protests, acknowledging that critics of China had a right to air their grievances, even if this wasn’t the practice back home. But she added that everyone should just get along. “It’s so political,” she said. “I believe in holistic.”
Apec summit: risks of upset to ‘fragile stability’ as Xi, Biden prepare to meet
Apec summit: risks of upset to ‘fragile stability’ as Xi, Biden prepare to meet
Li Huang, another protester holding a sign greeting Xi and who is not related to Helen, said she was honoured to welcome the Chinese president. She too hailed a fruitful meeting between the presidents, adding that bilateral tensions had made life more difficult for Chinese-Americans in recent years.
“I hope things can improve,” she said. “It’s a very positive sign that he’s here and trying to have more harmonious and prosperous relations for both sides.”
