The Facts

State Sen. Scott Wiener raised $127,600 from about 1,090 grassroots contributions in the four days after a video of protesters harassing him at the Trans March went viral, according to Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez at The Standard.

The footage showed protesters following and berating Wiener over his positions on Gaza, which barely differ from his opponent's: Chan wants a full embargo on aid to Israel and to fully cut ties with the nation, while Wiener wants to halt offensive weapons sales while continuing a strong US-Israel relationship. Both have described the ongoing war as "genocide."

The Context

Chan barely acknowledged the attacks. After the Chronicle asked for comment, she issued a general statement that did not name Wiener or the incident, according to Joe Garofoli at the Chronicle. She also declined to sign a letter specifically condemning the harassment, threats, and physical intimidation.

Wiener’s grassroots surge of 1,090 contributions also easily surpassed the $100,000 raised by Pelosi for Chan.

The GrowSF Take

Political disagreement is legitimate. Following, screaming at, and harassing someone at a Pride event is not persuasion, and this pile-on plainly backfired.

GrowSF endorsed Wiener because he has the strongest record of turning pro-housing, pro-transit ideas into law. This fundraising surge shows that many voters reject political intimidation and want effective leadership instead.