Oct 31, 2007 11:34 pm US/Pacific
Police Presence Spooks Revelers From SF's Castro
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
A heavy police presence in the city's Castro district Wednesday night seemed enough to spook revelers away from what was once home to the San Francisco Bay area's largest Halloween street party.
Bars and restaurants agreed to close early, public transportation halted nighttime service to the area and sidewalk barricades were set up to discourage pedestrians from spilling into the road. The landmark Castro Theatre stood with its lights shut off, guarded by barricades and nine police officers.
However, more than 250 uniformed officers patrolling the area weren't enough to keep some people from checking out their favorite Halloween haunt. A light crowd of costumed revelers wandered through the neighborhood Wednesday night, patronizing the few shops that stayed open.
Last year, nine people were shot when a confrontation between two groups of young people erupted into gunfire. No one has been arrested in the shooting.
The Castro party, which began in the 1960s as a spontaneous and unsanctioned event in the heart of the gay and lesbian community, was taken over by the city after 2002, when five people were stabbed and police found a man wielding a chain saw among the crowd of nearly 500,000.
After years of violence, arrests and vandalism, the city had decided this year to call off the annual Halloween festivities. But not everyone was pleased with the decision.
Citizens for Halloween, a volunteer group that supports safe partying in the Castro, had urged residents and visitors to take to the streets but to follow the guidelines set by the city, including not drinking in the streets.
The group attempted to rent portable toilets for the night after receiving donations from Ritual Coffee Roasters and an anonymous donor. But Citizen for Halloween's Alix Rosenthal said that the group was unable to get around logistical and liability issues.
They urged partygoers to instead use the two paid public toilets at Castro and Market streets and Church and Market streets. A few businesses staying open during the nonofficial party were also expected to allow people to use their restrooms to avoid public urination.
However, a significant number of bars, restaurants and stores opted to close before any of the costume-clad crowd could arrive.
According to Mayor Gavin Newsom's office, at least 13 bars/clubs, 13 restaurants and five markets and liquor stores had closed by early evening.
Michael Levy, who owns La Mediterranee, said he closed his restaurant at 5 p.m. and supported the mayor's decision.
"Anything to ease the pressure in the neighborhood," said Levy. "Maybe it'll cool out in a couple years."
Squat and Gobble Cafe and Crepery's manager, Mohamed Alhakim, agreed.
"It's been getting worse and worse," he recalled. "It's a nice place; it's been a fun place," but he added that it's gotten out of hand.
"I pray to God everything goes smoothly" Alhakim said.
Street parking was also affected by the city's decision to halt the party. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday to early Thursday morning, no-parking regulations were in effect along many Castro streets.
The streets not allowing parking include 19th Street between Eureka and Sanchez streets, 18th Street between Diamond and Noe streets, Market Street between Diamond and Noe streets, Diamond Street between 18th and 19th streets, Collingwood Street between 18th and 19th streets and Castro Street between 16th and 19th streets.
There were also be barricades set up on Market Street from Sanchez to Castro streets and on Castro Street from Market to 19th streets.
While some protested the city's decision to nix the party, longtime Castro resident Bob Mark said he was glad to have a quieter Halloween night at home.
"This went from being a really pleasant neighborhood event to a crazed tourist extravaganza," Mark, 60, said Wednesday.
Halloween in the Castro used to be a celebration of gay pride, he said, "but then it became a situation where people were coming to look at the animals in the zoo."
Jeanne Hawkins, 43, came dressed as a witch with her costumed friends despite warnings to stay away.
"It's so sad," said Hawkins, who had gone to the street party for the last few years. "This is world-famous, and they're slowly chipping away at all our traditions that make San Francisco what it is."
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