California State Senator Scott Wiener, a leading candidate to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress, was surrounded and ultimately driven out of San Francisco's annual Trans March after a group of protesters confronted him over his position on the war in Gaza. The incident, which took place Friday in Mission Dolores Park, was captured on video that has since been viewed millions of times across social media.
Wiener, who is Jewish and openly gay, has long been one of California's most outspoken advocates for transgender rights, having authored or backed numerous bills expanding LGBTQ protections, including SB 107, which established California as a refuge state for transgender people and their families. Despite that record, demonstrators at the march confronted him as he made his way to a Pride Shabbat service, with one activist — identified as Dimitry Yakoushkin — filming the encounter while criticizing Wiener's stance on Israel and the war in Gaza.
What Happened at the March
In the viral video, demonstrators can be heard shouting profanities and accusing Wiener of having "Zionist" and "Israeli handlers," while others made obscene gestures and chanted phrases including "everybody hates you." Wiener later described the encounter as involving physical intimidation, stating that a group "ran up to me, surrounded me, and began harassing me, both verbally and physically, including physical contact." He said the situation escalated to the point where it became "impossible for me to safely remain in the park," marking the first time he had been unable to participate in the march.
Wiener's Record on Gaza and Israel
Wiener has walked a complicated line on the Israel-Hamas war. He has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and opposed continued US military aid to Israel, while also affirming Israel's right to exist and maintaining ties to Jewish advocacy groups, including an endorsement from J Street. Earlier this year, he initially declined to call Israel's actions in Gaza a "genocide" during a candidate forum, but later reversed course, stating in a video statement that he believed Israel had committed genocide in Gaza — a shift that led to his resignation as co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.
Backlash and Political Fallout
The confrontation has intensified an ongoing rift within the Democratic Party over Israel policy, particularly in deep-blue San Francisco, where Wiener is competing against Supervisor Connie Chan in the race to fill Pelosi's congressional seat. Some Democratic officials condemned the protesters' actions; U.S. Representative Kevin Mullin called the incident "unacceptable," adding that "elected officials and candidates for office do not lose their right to basic human decency." For continued coverage of the incident and its political ripple effects, see reporting from Newsweek.
A Broader Pattern This Week
The Trans March incident was not isolated. Days earlier, Wiener was reportedly confronted by another activist at a San Francisco bar while watching a World Cup match, with the individual telling him to leave the neighborhood over his stance on Gaza. Together, the two incidents highlight growing tensions within progressive coalitions, where disagreements over Israel and Gaza are increasingly spilling into spaces historically focused on other social causes, including LGBTQ and transgender advocacy.