'Rogue Event' Planned At SF Nightclub Amid Coronavirus Health Order; City Attorney Moves To Shut It Down
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — The San Francisco City Attorney has directed the owner of a club venue to cancel an illegal party being planned in violation of the city's shelter-in-place health order to help stop the coronavirus spread.
City Attorney Dennis Herrera said Set San Francisco, which Herrera characterized as a "rogue event promoter," has been selling tickets for a March 27 party titled "Lehar (Multinotes, Diynamic, Afterlife)" at 251 Cocktail Club, an event space at 251 Rhode Island St.
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The promoter's website has been offering tickets to the event as recently as Wednesday morning, with prices ranging from $5 for "guest list" purchasers to $780 for a VIP package of tickets, private booth and two "premium bottles." The tickets are listed as nonrefundable.
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In a press release, Herrera said his office was working with the San Francisco Police Department to enforce the city's shelter-in-place order and compel the owner of the 251 Rhode Island St. venue to cancel the event. Among other things, the city's order prohibits all private and public gatherings, except for carefully defined essential activities.
"There have been many acts of decency, kindness and quiet heroism as San Franciscans try to keep their neighbors safe during this pandemic. This party, unfortunately, isn't one of them," Herrera said in a prepared statement. "How someone acts in a crisis says a lot about them. The individuals behind this party have either completely failed in their responsibility to the public, are engaged in a cynical scheme to rip off people knowing this event will never happen, or are putting lives at risk in a dangerous attempt to profit off a public health emergency."
"All of those are unacceptable. Putting 200 people together in a club is the exact wrong thing to do right now. It would create a powder keg for this virus to explode across our communities. We're not about to let that happen."
Herrera said that while representations have been made to the police department that the event had been cancelled, it was still being marketed online and tickets were still being sold for it as recently as of Tuesday morning.
A letter from Herrera sent to the property owner of 251 Rhode Island Street LLC ordered the event to be cancelled and promotions for it to stop, noting the property owner is responsible for any violations that take place on the property.
Read the letter from the San Francisco City Attorney
Failure to comply with the public health order during an emergency is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to a year, or both. The property owner would be liable for the violations as well as any civil penalties, and all costs for enforcement if the event is not canceled.
Set San Francisco was also currently promoting another event for March 27 at the Public Works nightclub at 161 Erie St. from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. There was no word on whether this event was also being canceled or whether the city attorney's office was working to shut it down. Set San Francisco was still promoting the event as of Wednesday morning.
