Police handcuffed and removed 11 union workers disrupting a San Francisco City Hall meeting Tuesday in a protest against Mayor Daniel Lurie’s proposed budget, which they said unfairly targets workers and critical services, organizers told the Chronicle. About 100 demonstrators chanted loudly, forcing the Board of Supervisors to go on recess about 30 minutes into its 2 p.m. regular meeting. Protesters continued for nearly two hours before police warned them to leave and then started detaining some demonstrators. The board resumed its meeting around 4 p.m.
Organized labor groups decried Lurie’s plan to eliminate around 100 filled jobs as well as hundreds of vacant positions— while retaining roughly 33,000 employees. They also object to his plans to slash $185 million in nonprofit and contract funding and impose other austerity measures to close a roughly $800 million deficit. Unions are demanding that the mayor slash more “wasteful” private contracts and reduce what they say is “top-heavy” management while retaining those 100 filled jobs.Holding signs reading “no cuts, no layoffs,” protesters interrupted proceedings while loudly chanting “protect public services” and “who’s city? our city.” Some sat on the ground holding up their fists in anticipation of being removed by police. Many protesters lined up for public comment following the disruption to voice their concerns about the budget.
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