Mike Tidmus

BALIF lawyers, Greens, union workers, GLBT folk and other allies line the street in front of the Manchester Hyatt (all photos: Mike Tidmus)

The high-spirited demonstration at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel yesterday afternoon could be heard blocks away as it echoed through the condo-lined corridors of Downtown San Diego. As mentioned back on 27 March, the California State Bar Association decided to ignore an ongoing boycott by union workers and GLBT activists and convene their annual convention at Papa Doug Manchester’s posh Market Street digs. The highly-successful boycott was launched in response to the onerous working conditions at the hotel, the lack of job security for workers and Manchester’s personal donation of $125k in seed money to California’s Proposition 8 — the ballot initiative that eliminated marriage equality in the state.

The Bar Association’s violation didn’t sit well with attendees from the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF) and a number of other organizations, including Equality California, the San Diego Green Party, the San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality (SAME), UNITE HERE! Local 30, Sleep with the Right People, and numerous other allies.

BALIF’s Outreach/Current Events Chair, Chelsea HaleyNelson, emceed the Noontime rally and invited attendees to join her in saying “shame on you” to the California State Bar Association.

Jose Medina (headband) led chants and carried the flags of California and the USA

When the street is the medium, leave your mark

Maricruz Garcia of UNITE HERE! leads a rowdy chant

The Green Party of San Diego gets it right

BALIF’s Chelsea HaleyNelson emceed the program of speakers

My .02: It’s gratifying that San Diego continues to demonstrate that this town really gets the whole we’re-all-in-this-together thing. Harvey Milk, I think, would be proud

Brigette Browning, President of UNITE HERE Local 30, translates as hotel housekeeper Marci Salazar addresses the crowd in Spanish

Attorney James Brosnahan was named to the State Bar of California’s Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame. Here he is speaking and demonstrating outside the group’s convention in San Diego

Following the program of speakers, it was back to what’s become business as usual at Papa Doug’s waterfront digs