Jewish Democrat Scott Wiener harrassed in Dolores Park

[Sympthsical]

Scott Wiener is one of the two Democratic candidates running to fill Nancy Pelosi's seat in S.F. And for those playing at home, Wiener has referred to events in Gaza as a genocide, condemns Netanyahu, and doesn't support funding of Israel. So what mysterious reason could he be targeted in such a manner? We may never know!

The video is a whole lot:

https://xcancel.com/Justin_G0rd0n/status/2070720949310406836

Maybe if he was even more forcefully against Netanyahu, he wouldn't get harassed as much? For his safety. That's what I've been told.

That man seriously should have security around him after this. These people are frightening.

[RandySF]

1. That's unacceptable

[Behind the Aegis]

2. "Israelis are far, Jews are closer!"

[Sympthsical]

3. There it is.

Robin Hood couldn't have hit the target more cleanly than you just did.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. And the ultimate irony...

...chasing a GAY man out of a Trans Day Festival, by yelling about an unrelated issue, in a place where said festival would NEVER happen.

[AZJonnie]

8. I'm confused, what are you saying here, friend?

"chasing a GAY man out of a Trans Day Festival ...... in a place where said festival would NEVER happen."

If said festival cannot happen in said place, how could one be chased out of a festival occurring in that place?? The former would seem to preclude the latter, but perhaps I'm missing something

Was there a Trans Day festival in Dolores Park happening when this happened?

I'm 100% with you on the condemnation, and particularly more so if he was at such a festival, I'm just asking for clarity.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. You left out "on an unrelated issue".

They attacked him over Gaza. That has nothing to do with Trans rights. The irony is that said event would NEVER be allowed in Gaza. So, they are chasing away an ally over an unrelated issue in the name of a place where they would never be allowed to exist, much less gather.

Does that make more sense?

[AZJonnie]

15. Yes, now I get you, you meant Gaza was the place it couldn't happen

Thanks for the clarification

[Behind the Aegis]

16. You're welcome.

Apologies for the confusion. I was doing three things at once. Not a good thing. LOL!

[Boo1]

33. Beat me to it

How did Gaza celebrate pride month this year? Hanging gay people in public?

[AZJonnie]

5. Man, if you can't even be safe from anti-semitism in Dolores freaking Park, SF?!?

Been on more than one march that started at the spot over the decades, including one or two marching against Operation Desert Storm. It's like hallowed freaking ground afaic.

That is really, really disappointing

[Sympthsical]

6. And he was there to support trans people

He could be San Francisco's first LGBT congressional representative.

And it's just not good enough.

For mysterious reasons we will never discover.

[AZJonnie]

9. Disturbing and saddening for sure

[yardwork]

39. If only we had some kind of clue....

[EdmondDantes_]

7. People let their hate make them stupid.

And I get it, I've definitely done it on other issues on my own life. It really helps to stop and think and question if the target of your anger is the right target and if they are, is it worth what hate does to you. It almost never is.

[RandomNumbers]

13. Thank you. An added thought ...

I can't find the exact quote, but in Buddhist teaching (or perhaps I heard from someone who teaches along that line), there is a concept that anger causes more damage to the angry person than their target. The objective should be to understand one's anger and its sources, and to calmly find constructive ways to address those things creating the situations that make us angry.

Unfortunately many people all over the political spectrum will allow their anger to drive them to actions that are more harmful than helpful to their cause and themselves.

[mcar]

11. Guess one can't say it's his stance on Israel or

AIPAC.

Gee, what could it be?

[chowder66]

12. LGBTQ people have been harassed and much worse, so why do these people think this is a good way to treat others?

Harassing in this way is not productive and it's pretty damn frightening to watch.

Does this level of hatred/anger ever get directed towards Republicans?


I also find it pretty amazing that no one there came to help.

[yardwork]

40. Was the person who harassed him LGBTQ?

[chowder66]

47. I can't be sure but they were screaming how great he was on trans and LGBTQ issues.

[Mossfern]

14. Do they know how

Hamas treats gay people?
Such ignorance - such hate.

[scipan]

17. it may be more nuanced than that. From Wikipedia:

As co-chair of the CLJC, Wiener has contributed to legislation aimed at countering anti-Israel narratives and activism, alleged antisemitism, and promoting Holocaust education in California public schools and universities.[159][162] Wiener and CLJC worked to ensure that ethnic studies legislation to "provide clear direction to local school districts and the California Department of Education that anti-Jewish and anti-Israel content cannot be included in the teaching of ethnic studies".[163][164] Wiener and the CLJC successfully advocated for the incorporation of the IHRA definition of antisemitism in California's Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC), which has been criticized as including legitimate critique of Israel in order to silence pro-Palestinian activism.[165][166][167]

On February 14, 2025, Wiener introduced AB 715, a bill described by proponents as preventing K-12 anti-semitism through a series of new prohibitions and requirements, including the appointment of an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator.[168][169][170] AB 715 was signed into law in October 2025.

Wiener and the California Legislative Jewish Caucus have been criticized by Jewish Voice for Peace for "twist[ing] criticism [of Israel] into antisemitism".[171] He said that Israel should "be more surgical" in Gaza, but opposed with CLJC a Gaza cease-fire resolution in Sacramento.[172] Wiener and other CLJC officials commended California State University Chancellor Mildred García for placing Sonoma State University President Mike Lee on leave after Lee announced support for an academic boycott of Israel in agreement with protesters and Students for Justice in Palestine,[173][174][175] which was seen as aligning with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and which Wiener described as "horrific and wrong".[176][177][178]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Wiener

[RandySF]

20. So fighting antisemitism is wrong?

I bet Bernie and Lander would disagree with you.

[scipan]

28. Of course not. NOT what I meant AT ALL.

Don't take the worst interpretation you can and run with it like that.

[Sympthsical]

24. I don't think harassment requires nuance

But I'll play.

Anyone familiar with how faculty in various school districts in the Bay Area behaved in a totally normal fashion after October 7th understands where the antisemitism education initiatives are coming from. Some of those school districts - from the faculty down - were throwing heinous rhetoric around and trying to include the kids. It was an infamous local shitshow. Antisemitism in these school districts continues to be a problem.

And if you look at the footnotes for the entries you're citing, you'll find they're stories from 2024 and 2025. You cut off the excerpt right before his resignation as co-chair of the Jewish Caucus because of his remarks calling Gaza a genocide. His views on the issues have changed over time, and he gave an interview back in January of this year detailing those views. He literally acceded to the people who are screaming at him.

And, just so we're clear, none of it justifies people harassing him in such a fashion.

[scipan]

27. OP already noted that he thought Gaza was a genocide.

I'm saying his views are more nuanced, and also that the harassers are probably angry about his views rather than his ethnicity/religion. But that's giving them the benefit of the doubt.

I agree that none of it justifies harassment in that fashion. It hurts to see it.

[Sympthsical]

31. I'm just saying citing his past views doesn't give an accurate picture

When his current views were just subject to a vigorous primary campaign. A lot of people have changed their views as the situation progressed. I myself gave Netanyahu a grace period in the Israeli response for about the first six or so months before saying, "No, this is too much. Israel has to pull back from this now." And it's just gotten worse over time.

So when we ask politicians to evolve, then they evolve, and they still get screamed at, I guess I just don't understand the motivation. The things they're screaming at him are not reflective of his current views, and I think anyone paying attention to this situation in San Francisco is well-apprised of where he currently stands.

There are, unfortunately, people in that movement who think Zionist/Likud/Israeli are all synonyms for Jew, and I would confidently put money down that these folks are moving in those circles.

[scipan]

38. Well apprised? You may be right. They didn't strike me as well read. and,

the left has some antisemites in those circles. Disgusting.

[yardwork]

42. I'll wait to learn more (if we ever do) but something tells me it's not that complicated.

Harassers usually don't do a lot of careful research into nuance and such.

Harassers are more in the MTG mold of reacting to one issue that grabs their emotions.

[scipan]

34. he advocated for 2 things I disagree with.

That antisemitism definition includes being anti-zionism. And, I think it's up to individuals/groups whether to divest in Israel. I don't see evidence that he changed his mind on those.

He also seems to be a thinking person, someone I could definitely vote for.

[Sympthsical]

35. That is fair enough

Disagree about the anti-Zionism bit, but . . . I'm exhausted with discussing the topic for now, lol.

[scipan]

37. yeah I usually avoid Israel/Palestine threads. My only disagreement

is, I did not hear antisemitism in what all they were shouting and prefer not to pin that on them without evidence. But they were damned uncivilized and almost certainly breaking the law. And I HATE that.

[sarisataka]

18. So in essence he does everything that is said

Jews should do to avoid antisemitism yet he still faced antisemitism.

Just spitballing here, maybe it isn't Israel. Perhaps Israel is an excuse for antisemitism but the root cause is something else?

Might it be Judenhass?

[Mossfern]

21. I think maybe read the excerpt in the post you responed to

It says the opposite.
..... or maybe it's me who's misunderstanding.

[sarisataka]

30. I think maybe it is misunderstanding

The candidate opposes israel's actions in Gaza, Netanyahu and funding, which are all things Jews are told they should do to avoid antisemitism, but that apparently now is not good enough. A Jewish person must do more or they have to expect to face antisemitism

[Celerity]

22. I condemn this wholeheartedly. He has more patience and restraint than I would have had.

[Sympthsical]

25. I'm still fine with either Wiener or Chan

But I admire the hell out of his poise in that situation.

But thank you for speaking up. I appreciate it.

[EllieBC]

23. Eating our own makes conservatives so happy.

Also, we need to eventually admit there’s an antisemitism problem on the left and it’s got nothing to do with Israel.

[walkingman]

26. US systemic racism is not anything new and the Jewish community is not immune to it...

but I honestly think that the vast majority of people on the left, especially in the US, are not antisemitic but are against the leadership of Netanyahu and US economic support that has enabled many of Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza.

I honestly think of Netanyahu like I do Trump - basically maintaining power to stay out of prison. ☮

[Nanjeanne]

29. Encroaching on his space and being so verbally abusive is disgusting. Wiener has been strong on trans rights.

It takes courage to be a public figure. Especially now with so much anger in the world.

[Sympthsical]

32. Appreciate the response

[Nanjeanne]

41. I think harassment of people for any reason particularly in a threatening and challenging manner should

always be called out. There are places where politicians should be willing to engage with constituents who disagree with them. This was not the place and this manner was not the way. As a Jewish woman who has spent much time with my Israeli family and as someone who knew people murdered on Oct 7 and who has met many Palestinians working with my family members for years for peace (including protectors who put their own lives on the line for Palestinians against violence and land seizures by Israeli settlers in the West Bank) I may have a different perspective than many people here and I may see real threats differently as well — but why you would be surprised by my calling out unacceptable behavior against Jews Im not sure. I call it out wherever I truly see it and towards any people. As I’m sure you do as well.

While I appreciate your appreciation I don’t see you saying that to anyone else in this thread. Just makes me feel a bit awkward.

[yardwork]

43. They didn't say they were surprised by your post.

Sympthsical thanked at least one other in this thread before they thanked you, well before your comment.

They come across as gracious and patient.

[Nanjeanne]

45. Thanks for sharing. I thought for sure I would miss you today. And a day without you misinterpreting either

purposefully or not is like a day without sunshine. Glad the signal came through to you loud and clear.

Big hugs!!! Now I know my day is complete.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

44. God help us.

[Cha]

46. Well, those ignorant raging assholes

have the wrong target. There's nothing "nuanced" about that.

Scott Weiner is Grace Under Fire. I wish I could give him a hug.

TY for this, Sympthsical. Another crucial example of why the Rabbis across the Country are worried about the spread of Anti-Semitism.

[Nixie]

48. Cha, that's amazing you said that about giving him a hug.

I felt the same way after seeing that video. I wanted to be there walking with him so that he felt supported. It was a very painful thing to watch. The screamers kept escalating. It was truly scary. He was so composed and did the right thing, just calmly walk away. I’m so impressed with him.

[Cha]

49. Ohh, I'm so glad to hear that, Nixie...

Yes, he most assuredly kept his composure. Can't even imagine what he was thinking during that long walk by himself. I can imagine how he might have felt when he got to supporters who know how he feels and has spoken out about the "Gaza" horror.

The feeling just welled up inside after seeing that. I'm not one to watch ragers like that, but I watched that one.