APEC in San Francisco: Biden, Harris attend fundraiser

Throughout the week organizers are expecting protests small and big to break out around the conference. 

Latest updates:

U.S., Japan leaders issue joint statement on agreements

Leaders of Japan and the U.S. issued a joint statement saying they held bilateral discussions Tuesday at APEC to enhance the “rules-based international economic order and making our economies more competitive and resilient.” The leaders were Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamikawa Yoko; Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura Yasutoshi; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken; and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

They addressed more than a dozen topics, including efforts to fight climate change and advance peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The economic leaders also said they would be monitoring export restrictions on “critical minerals which could significantly affect production of solar panels, semiconductors, and other essential inputs for electric vehicles, computers, and smart devices.”

Also discussed were Japan’s practice of releasing water from nuclear power plants, saying International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other international experts have found Japan’s practices to be safe, science-based, and transparent.

Other topics included building transparent, resilient, and sustainable supply chains; concerns about cybersecurity, export controls, food security, energy security, biotechnology and personal data protection and privacy.

Biden on Trump: ‘Damn, he shouldn’t be president’

President Biden denounced former President Donald Trump during a fundraiser in San Francisco tonight, saying he shouldn’t be president, and Trump’s racist remarks were similar to what was heard in Nazi Germany.

“There’s a lot of reasons to be against Donald Trump but, damn, he shouldn’t be president,” he said.

Biden also criticized Trump for his verbal attacks on Nancy and Paul Pelosi, the same week Paul Pelosi’s attacker took the stand in his criminal trial.

“On more than one occasion in recent weeks, he’s made a joke about the assaults on Nancy Pelosi’s husband,” Biden said. “There’s no place in America for political violence.”

Biden tried to inject a note of optimism among troubling polls for Democrats that show lagging approval ratings.

“At the start of last week, everybody was telling us that if (Kentucky) Governor Andy Beshear lost, Republicans won the Virginia House and the Senate, the Constitutional right to choose went down in Ohio, if that had occurred it would have been a very bad day for Joe Biden. You remember all that? But here’s the funny part. Beshear won, Republicans in Virginia lost the House and Senate, Ohio enshrined in the constitution the right to choose. Sounds like a pretty good day for Joe Biden.”

Biden, Harris attend fundraiser at Merchants Exchange building

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at The Merchants Exchange building Tuesday evening as pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside the building.

Biden and Harris mingled with dignitaries and politicians including Mayor London Breed and former Mayor Willie Brown, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Clint Reilly, a political consultant and mayoral candidate who became a commercial real estate developer. Reilly and his wife, Janet, co-hosted the event and own the building.

“It is indeed good to be home,” Harris said after a standing ovation. She spoke from the stage lit in blue.

Harris said she joked with Newsom that between the two of them they could identify many of the building’s rooms just by feel and with their eyes closed because they’d spent so many days and nights gathering at events with the owners over the years.

She also described the current political climate across America and fighting Republican “extremists” who have threatened reproductive rights and the right to vote.

“This election is a fight for our most fundamental freedoms,” she said. “We have a responsibility, dare I say a duty, to preserve and protect our nation’s most sacred ideals, freedoms, liberty and justice.”

Protest crowd disbands after three-hour gathering

The crowd that gathered in San Francisco to demand a cease-fire in Gaza began to disband shortly before 8 p.m.

Protest march returns to Market Street

About an hour after Market Street reopened to Muni buses, protesters — who had left Market Street to march on side streets — returned to Market Street and were marching westbound. Among the protest participants was San Francisco resident Jay Lyon, 71, who said, “It is obscene that in this very city that we have people sleeping in the street when billions is sent to murder people with weapons. I am a Jew and I have never been prouder than I am now. So many Jews hate the occupation, we are not zionists. We hate the fact that zionists pretend that all the Jews in the world are on their side. The Jewish religion honors justice. And Zionism is not justice.” Read the full story here.

Gwen Stefani to perform at APEC following allegations of cultural appropriation

Pop singer and “The Voice” star Gwen Stefani, set to headline a reception for APEC leaders on Wednesday, has long faced criticism for perpetuating perceived stereotypes of Japanese people in her marketing and use of backup dancers.

Paul Osaki, executive director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, told the Chronicle that if summit organizers “want representation of the Japanese culture at the reception, there are several Japanese cultural performing arts groups that are more authentic, not stereotypical and of actual Japanese ancestry.”  Osaki also expressed disappointment that neither Biden nor Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had announced plans to visit the historic district during APEC. Full story here.

Muni buses blocked by protest march on Market Street

SFMTA rerouted several Muni routes after marching protesters blocked buses traveling on Market Street, SFMTA said. It recommended using underground subway service.

Traffic snarls in downtown San Francisco

As a protest began on Market and Powell streets after the first main day of the APEC summit, nearby streets in South of Market and Nob Hill were already clogged with traffic, according to 511.org. Traffic is also moving slow on Highway 101 North from Cesar Chavez to the entrance of the Bay Bridge, partly because of the closure of the far right lane of Interstate 80 on the bridge.

War protest on Market Street begins

Hours after President Biden arrived in San Francisco, protesters gathered at the intersection of Market and Powell streets to demand a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and an end to all U.S. aid for Israel. The protest organized by several Bay Area pro-Palestinian groups is one of many seeking to gain Biden’s attention. 

Additional protests are planned for Wednesday, when some 1,200 CEOs are scheduled to meet.

Muni warns of train switchbacks

The N Judah and T Third trains switched back for a short spell at Embarcadero Station on Tuesday afternoon, as world leaders arrived in San Francisco for the summit. While the switchbacks ended around 4 p.m., Muni warned that “similar switchbacks remain possible later in the day.”

Where Janet Yellen is eating

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been spotted at several well known Bay Area dining establishments since arriving in the area for APEC. A manager at Chez Panisse confirmed that the former UC Berkeley professor dined at the restaurant Friday, and today she was seen economizing with a trip to In-N-Out, reportedly on her way to the airport to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Read more here about Yellen’s trip to Chez Panisse and In-N-Out.

Popular bakery far from exclusion zone closing temporarily

Citing APEC disruptions and unexpectedly slow business, a number of well known S.F. food businesses have decided to temporarily close — including bakery B. Patisserie, on California and Divisadero, which is shutting on Wednesday and Thursday due to parking restrictions on California and Pine streets. Read more about the closures here.

Xi lands in SF

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at San Francisco International Airport Tuesday afternoon, where he was received by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, according to NBC Bay Area. Hundreds of people waving Chinese flags stood at Third Street by the Moscone Center, as the motorcade rolled past.  — Roland Li

Inside the International Media Center at Moscone

The sprawling Moscone North press room has space for the over 1,500 journalists expected to attend APEC….