Crying girl was pushed into viral San Francisco street vending video, police say

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A distraught little girl was pushed in a viral video showing San Francisco city employees cracking down on illegal hot dog venders along the Embarcadero, according to police.

In the video, officers are seen handcuffing the girl’s mother on Sunday morning while the small child screams and cries next to her. The video “ has gained widespread attention on social media showing SFPD officers arresting a woman,” SFPD wrote.

On Thursday, the police department characterized the video as “an orchestrated effort by people illegally vending hot dogs to undermine the city’s efforts to enforce the law.”

SFPD said the video is edited to fit a false narrative, and cut out what led up to the arrest.

The mother got into a “tug-of-war” scuffle over her hot dog vending cart, and allegedly assaulted a city worker, before officers stepped in to arrest her, according to police.

“Someone in the group told a small child to begin crying near the officers to manipulate the situation. The combination of the crying child, with her mother on the ground being handcuffed, created a dramatic moment that was carefully edited. The reality was much different,” SFPD wrote.

Police said the incident began at 10:30 a.m. Sunday when the city’s Vending Enforcement Task Force gave warnings to people who were vending illegally without permits near Pier 33 along the Embarcadero waterfront.

The task force included employees with SF Port Authority, the Department of Public Health, and the Department of Public Works. Police officers guard members of the task force to protect their safety, however, officers are not directly used to enforce anti-hot dog selling rules.

Around 11:30 a.m., the task force returned to Pier 33 to enforce public health regulations. They attempted to seize hot dog carts from vendors who refused to leave, police said.

The mother gripped tightly onto her cart, according to police. Her daughter started to cry when the mother engaged in “tug-of-war” over the cart with a port employee, SFPD wrote.

“An SFPD sergeant tried to identify the child’s parent, and a man came over, picked up the girl up and walked away,” the police department wrote. SFPD said police officers were attempting to “deescalate the situation” when the mother allegedly struck the port worker and resisted arrest.

In the video, the mother can be heard telling officers in Spanish, “I’m leaving, I’m leaving!” Mission Street Vendors Association said language barriers and lack of cultural sensitivity can cause tense situations between street vendors and city workers to escalate.

While the mother was on the ground and resisting arrest, SFPD said, “the small child reentered the scene and began crying as officers continued to do their job. A witness at the scene told police that an unidentified woman pushed the child toward the police and told her to cry so that the police will let her mom go. Our hearts go out to the girl who witnessed this incident, which was clearly upsetting for her.”

Police alerted Child Protective Services authorities about the incident because of how the girl was allegedly used in the video.

Mission Street Vendors Association said it was “deeply disturbed” by the September 8 video. MSVA told KRON4, “The vendor’s young daughter, who was present during the incident, can be seen crying in distress as onlookers attempt to comfort her.”

The mother was ultimately cited for battery and obstructing peace officer duties before she was released from custody at the scene.

SFPD said city employee have a right to carry out their jobs without being attacked, and officers will continue to protect city employees from physical harm.

SFPD wrote, “Our city workers have been assaulted dozens of times. The protection of our workforce is not only a fundamental right but also a critical component of our commitment to maintaining a thriving and functional city. The SFPD supports our officers, and we will continue to enforce the law – even when there are organized efforts to manipulate the truth.”

The Mission Street Vendors Association denounced Sunday’s incident as “blatant disregard for human dignity.” According to the association, city policies disproportionately affect marginalized communities and people who are just trying to make a living.

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