California state Sen. Scott Wiener was forced to leave San Francisco’s Trans March after protesters confronted him over his stance on Gaza, according to video circulating online.
The San Francisco Democrat, who is also running for Congress, said he felt harassed, physically intimidated and unsafe during Friday’s event at Dolores Park.
Wiener, who is Jewish and one of California’s most progressive lawmakers, has long supported transgender rights and the state of Israel’s right to exist, while also criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
But that was not enough for protesters who accused him of being too slow to call the war in Gaza a “genocide.”
Video from the march showed a group following Wiener through Dolores Park and shouting him down.
“You’ve been terrible on Gaza. You do not belong here anymore, Scott.”
Wiener said one of the people involved had previously stalked him at an airport and referenced his “tainted bloodline.”
At a congressional debate earlier this year, Wiener refused to call the war in Gaza a “genocide,” though he later reversed his position.
Wiener said the confrontation at the Trans March crossed the line from political protest into harassment and intimidation.
He wrote on social media that he left the march for the first time since 2004 because he feared for his safety and the safety of his staff.
“As I walked through Dolores Park to participate in a trans-led Pride Shabbat service in connection with the trans march, a group of people began screaming at me, ran up to me, surrounded me, and began harassing me, both verbally and physically, including physical contact. They made statements about my ‘Israeli handlers,’ among many other inaccurate, extreme, and vile statements. They were so physically and verbally aggressive that it was impossible for me to safely remain in the park. As a result, I left the park and, for the very first time, did not participate in the trans march.
Scott Wiener showed up to the trans march and for the first time we kicked his ass out. It’s sad because while he’s written some good legislation for queers, hes ultimately a genocidal-supporting center right shill. Trigger warning: broken man walking away defeated. Vote Connie! pic.twitter.com/TXIB7omxde
— Dimitry Yakoushkin (@decadimitry) June 27, 2026
“I have no objection whatsoever to anyone disagreeing with me, opposing me, or protesting me. All of that is core to democracy. I also have no issue when people talk to me on the street and ask questions or express opposition. That’s democracy, even when the people engaging in this conduct misrepresent my views.
“But when opposition and disagreement transition to harassment, including cornering me, touching me, or trying to physically bully me out of a public event, that crosses a line. We’re living in a time when violence is all too often threatened or used against people in public life. In San Francisco, we’re better than that.”
The incident created an awkward spectacle for Wiener, who has built much of his political brand around progressive politics and LGBTQ advocacy.
Instead, he found himself being chased out of one of San Francisco’s marquee Pride weekend events by protesters attacking him from the left.
Wiener received support after the confrontation from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and California Senate Democrats.
The Senate Democrats credited Wiener’s “steadfast” support for San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ communities.
“In California,” their statement read, “we believe everyone deserves dignity and respect, regardless of political differences.”
The confrontation also comes as Wiener campaigns for Congress in one of the most famously liberal cities in America.
It was an ugly reminder that in San Francisco politics, even being a loud progressive is not always left-wing enough.
Wiener came to the march as an ally. He left after being shouted down by the same movement he has spent years championing.
