Picket Fences

As promised, some 100 protesters gathered in front of San Fran’s Moscone Center yesterday afternoon to rail against local op Comcast as part of a "Comcast Doesn’t Care" campaign. They handed out pink fliers that ticked off the MSO’s alleged sins, including cavils about Comcast’s monopoly status, and alleged violations of workers’ rights. John Dugan, an organizer, said he was trying to heighten residents’ consciousness about Comcast’s dealings, alleging the op "sues communities who stand up for their rights." Dugan also characterized Comcast as a group of "bullies." Comcast COO Steve Burke took the demonstration with a grain of salt. "Some of it comes with the territory" (an apparent reference to Comcast status as the largest MSO). Burke said there have been a lot of union de-certification notes in the last couple years, estimating that about 65K of 68K employees have chosen not to be part of the union. As for complaints of about service in the city, "I’d put our record in San Francisco up against anybody," he said. A pair of SFPD officers was even less impressed than Burke. One motorcycle cop said, "the commies never need much of an excuse to protest in this town," while his partner guessed the protest wouldn’t last long. "The potheads are having their convention here, too," he said, mentioning the pro-marijuana sect NORML, "These people aren’t going to want to stand around and moan about cable TV when they could be standing around talking about pot."