PG&E protests in SF turn unruly

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - Protesters rallying in downtown San Francisco at noon today forced the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to lock the doors of its Financial District building after a brief skirmish with police.

Approximately 20 protesters sat on the rain-soaked concrete outside the front doors of the PG&E building, located at 245 Market St., before they attempted to enter the building. Protesters shouted on bullhorns and yelled about what they call ``outright thievery'' by one of California's largest power producers.

The state Public Utilities Commission last week approved a temporary rate hike in the face of objections by consumers who don't want increases and declarations by utility companies of financial disaster without them.

After a 45-minute sit-down protest today, the demonstrators tried to walk inside the offices to speak with PG&E representatives, but were held back by a dozen San Francisco police officers as PG&E security held the doors shut. One protester was able to make his way inside, but was immediately ushered through the lobby of the building.

A police department spokesman said PG&E did not wish to press charges against the protesters, including Media Benjamin, who ran a failed bid for a U.S. Senate seat last year.

``We the consumers did not cause this problem,'' Benjamin said. ``We the people will not pay for it. This is just the beginning.''

Benjamin said she and the others would return at noon on Jan. 16 to resume their protest and provide PG&E with a list of names of people demanding lower utility bills.

http://www.bayarea.com/c/breaking/docs/057180.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), January 10, 2001

Answers

I thought the electric rate increases were paltry 5-7% for consumers up to 15% for commercial operations. Why are they making this big fuss over tiny increases? All across the nation, natural gas has gone up 50-100% and more and I don't see any protests over that? Why? In California they should be protesting natural gas prices, not electricity. Factories have closed because they couldn't afford the natural gas bill but you don't see any protests about that in CA. That makes no sense at all.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@altavista.com), January 10, 2001.