Despite reports, pro-Trump protesters in San Francisco's Twitter HQ nowhere to be found [View all]

[dalton99a]

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Trump-rioters-Twitter-HQ-San-Francisco-zip-ties-15861081.php

Despite reports, pro-Trump protesters in San Francisco's Twitter HQ nowhere to be found
Joshua Bote, SFGATE
Jan. 11, 2021


A man carries a sign across the street from the Twitter headquarters on Monday, January 11, 2021.

Police officers and reporters swarmed Twitter's heavily-barricaded headquarters Monday morning, and even a couple of counter-protesters carrying "impeach Trump" signs.

But the pro-Trump mob that was expected to descend into San Francisco following the permanent banning of President Donald Trump on his preferred social media platform was nowhere to be found.

"SFPD has been in contact with representatives from Twitter," a police representative told SFGATE in a statement. "We will have sufficient resources available to respond to any demonstrations as well as calls for service citywide."

The San Francisco Chronicle first broke the news, and found that the calls for protest originated on a far-right forum that emerged as an offshoot of the subreddit TheDonald -- which Reddit banned last year.

While the original poster branded the protests as "peaceful," some members of the forum suggested carrying zip ties -- akin to the ones held by rioters who were later arrested. It is also possible that protesters may come to the homes of Twitter employees, including CEO Jack Dorsey, though officers did not confirm to SFGATE whether there would be a police presence there due to safety concerns.


Police barricades wrapped around the Twitter headquarters on Monday, January 11, 2021.