War Information
10 sectionsHistory of State Violence and Repression in San Francisco
San Francisco, known as a symbol of progressivism and counterculture, has a history saturated with racial violence, labor repression, class cleansing, and human rights violations.
Ohlone People and Mission Dolores
Before European contact, the SF Bay Area was home to the Ohlone people. Mission San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores), founded in 1776, subjected thousands of Natives to forced labor. European diseases and brutal working conditions reduced the Ohlone population to near extinction.
Gold Rush and Anti-Chinese Violence
San Francisco was the financial and logistical center of the Gold Rush that fueled Native genocide. In the 1870s, anti-Chinese violence peaked. In 1877, white mobs attacked Chinatown, destroying and burning dozens of Chinese businesses. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed largely under pressure from San Francisco.
1934 General Strike and Labor Repression
One of the most important class battles in US history occurred in San Francisco. The 1934 General Strike, beginning with dockworkers, spread across the city. Police attacked strikers, killing 2 workers and wounding dozens.
Japanese American Incarceration
After Pearl Harbor, SF's Japantown was emptied and its residents sent to incarceration camps. Their homes and businesses were confiscated.
AIDS Crisis and Government Neglect
In the 1980s, the Reagan administration systematically ignored the AIDS crisis. San Francisco, the epicenter, lost thousands of LGBTQ+ community members to a preventable epidemic.
Class Cleansing and Forced Displacement
Since the 2010s, a wave of gentrification has forcibly displaced long-time SF residents. The city's Black population has declined from 13% to under 5%.
