San Francisco cleans streets, moves homeless as it prepares for APEC Summit

San Francisco is preparing for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ conference (APEC) by cleaning streets, increasing local security, and installing fences around Moscone Center. Streets once occupied by homeless encampments are now cleaned and gated, with some featuring planter boxes adorned with wildflowers.

The summit meetings of the 21-member APEC forum are scheduled for the week of Nov. 11-17. Police anticipate multiple protests during the APEC week, reaching a peak on Wednesday with the first meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping since last year’s G-20 conference.

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On Sunday, Nov. 12, protesters gathered at the plaza in front of San Francisco’s ferry building, displaying banners and posters opposing the forum, advocating for economic and environmental change, and waving Palestinian flags.

Marty Brewer, a protestor, stated his presence was to urge leaders to address the climate crisis. Others expressed that the money spent on hosting world leaders could have been better utilized for the community.

The U.S. Secret Service designated the summit a National Special Security Event (NSSE), entrusting the Secret Service with leading all security operations related to the summit. The federal agency, in collaboration with the city’s police force and other entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has been conducting security drills for months, according to Jeremy Brown, assistant special agent in charge with the Secret Service and coordinator for the summit.