Mark Holtz
03-23-03, 11:10 AM
From SF Gate (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/23/MN120691.DTL)
Small businesses, not corporations, hardest hit by S.F. demonstrations
Lost business, vandalism cited by owners
With thousands of anti-war protesters huddled together and blocking intersections throughout San Francisco in hopes of stopping corporate America from going on as usual, it was small businesses that ended up bearing the brunt of the pain.
City officials were unable to estimate the total loss to businesses -- which was hardest felt on Thursday when protesters came out in droves -- but acknowledged that it had been a rough few days, especially for the little guy.
Small businesses suffered much more than big businesses targeted by demonstrations on Thursday, said A. Lee Blitch, president and chief executive of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.
"The big businesses are able to have people work from home, and yes, it's disruptive, but the person hurt is the truck driver, the sandwich shop operator," Blitch said. "The little guy gets hurt."
One of the organizers of the demonstrations, Patrick Reinsborough of Direct Action to Stop the War, said the group had no qualms about the costs incurred or lost productivity.
"The price of war is on Washington, the price of waging an illegitimate war, " he said. "It's absurd to talk about the cost of the protest. The cost of the war comes at a time when our economy is in trouble, and that $100 billion could be going to create jobs and provide education and health care."
Business owners nonetheless argued that protesters can still make their point without upsetting people's livelihoods.
Michael Bernick, the director of the California Employment Development Department, said of the demonstration, "All it does is hurt working people."
Lee Quan, who owns the 11 Lee's Deli shops scattered around the Financial District, said business fell 25 percent Thursday and he sent workers home early. Those workers lost pay, he said. He added that two windows were damaged with spray paint and will have to be replaced, at a cost of perhaps $2,000.
Full article here (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/23/MN120691.DTL)
Small businesses, not corporations, hardest hit by S.F. demonstrations
Lost business, vandalism cited by owners
With thousands of anti-war protesters huddled together and blocking intersections throughout San Francisco in hopes of stopping corporate America from going on as usual, it was small businesses that ended up bearing the brunt of the pain.
City officials were unable to estimate the total loss to businesses -- which was hardest felt on Thursday when protesters came out in droves -- but acknowledged that it had been a rough few days, especially for the little guy.
Small businesses suffered much more than big businesses targeted by demonstrations on Thursday, said A. Lee Blitch, president and chief executive of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.
"The big businesses are able to have people work from home, and yes, it's disruptive, but the person hurt is the truck driver, the sandwich shop operator," Blitch said. "The little guy gets hurt."
One of the organizers of the demonstrations, Patrick Reinsborough of Direct Action to Stop the War, said the group had no qualms about the costs incurred or lost productivity.
"The price of war is on Washington, the price of waging an illegitimate war, " he said. "It's absurd to talk about the cost of the protest. The cost of the war comes at a time when our economy is in trouble, and that $100 billion could be going to create jobs and provide education and health care."
Business owners nonetheless argued that protesters can still make their point without upsetting people's livelihoods.
Michael Bernick, the director of the California Employment Development Department, said of the demonstration, "All it does is hurt working people."
Lee Quan, who owns the 11 Lee's Deli shops scattered around the Financial District, said business fell 25 percent Thursday and he sent workers home early. Those workers lost pay, he said. He added that two windows were damaged with spray paint and will have to be replaced, at a cost of perhaps $2,000.
Full article here (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/23/MN120691.DTL)