Trashed Mission District businesses want answers

Business owners in San Francisco's Mission District, cleaning up after a night in which protesters damaged more than 30 stores and restaurants and vandalized cars, questioned Tuesday why activists had singled them out and why police hadn't done more to halt the rampage.

Among those dealing with the damage were officers at the neighborhood police station, where black-clad, masked activists threw paint and bashed the front door Monday night.

Even as they defended themselves from criticism that they had allowed the vandals to run wild - one restaurant owner said officers even appeared to be "escorting" the group - high-level police officials met to find a better way to handle out-of-control crowds.

The protesters split away at 9 p.m. from an Occupy rally in Dolores Park that was held in advance of Tuesday's May Day actions. Traveling down 18th Street and onto Valencia Street, they smashed windows with crowbars and signs, threw paint and eggs on buildings and spray-painted anarchy symbols on the hoods of parked cars.

"All I heard was, 'bang, bang, bang,' and some dude had the valet sign, trying to break our window," said Adam Koskoff, manager of the Locanda restaurant on Valencia. "I didn't even see the crowd, and I ran outside and got egged."

The vandals damaged restaurants, bakeries and clothing stores, along with at least 17 cars on Valencia and Guerrero streets. An expensive Aston Martin had its windshield shattered, but the protesters damaged everyday cars as well.

At the Mission police station at 17th and Valencia streets, pink and yellow paint was thrown on the barricaded glass doors, which someone cracked with a hammer or similar weapon.

"It was like the station was under siege," said an officer, who asked not to be named.

Mission station Capt. Robert Moser said the vandalism had "unfolded quickly," and that 100 to 150 people had been involved.

One person was arrested on suspicion of a vehicle code violation and resisting arrest, Moser said. He was cited and released.

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Trashed Mission District businesses want answers