Fentanyl Addict’s Mom Leads Rally in San Francisco’s Tenderloin – CBS San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – On Wednesday, the mother of a man struggling with addiction protested at an infamous corner in San Francisco’s tenderloin.
She said she was ready to stand alone on the corner. As it turned out, that wouldn’t be necessary.
CONTINUE READING: UPDATE: 9th victim dies in mass shooting at VTA Light Rail Yard in San Jose; Family and friends pay tribute
“I used to be ashamed,” Jackquie Berlinn told the crowd. “I’m just hiding my story out of shame. I realized a few years ago that it wasn’t helping me. It didn’t help my son. And it didn’t help anyone on the street. “
Berlinn’s son is addicted to fentanyl. He’s on the street in San Francisco somewhere. Desperate, she came to Turk and Hyde to ask for help.
“I’ve spoken to parents who are in other states,” she says. “Your kids come to San Francisco because they know how easy it is to use and get drugs.”
CONTINUE READING: Mass shooting in San Jose: 10 dead, including shooter at VTA Rail Yard; Victim identities released
It is a crisis that a coalition of the Disgruntled is building, and many of them have surfaced today. It was a gathering of residents and politicians who often disagreed on many things. On this issue, they share the frustration.
“Every single officer-elected, supervisor, there are two here, should be here,” Supervisor Matt Haney shouted. “The mayor should be here. The prosecutor should be here. “
“We need bipartisan participation,” said Adam Mesnick. “We need the leaders who admit that addiction is a problem.”
It was vented and argued, but everyone here agreed that the status quo has failed and that there is an impetus for a change towards compassion and accountability.
MORE NEWS: UPDATE: The investigation into the bomb squadron at the home of the San Jose VTA mass rifleman extends into the night
“We can offer them services and do everything we can to keep them from drug trafficking in the future,” said Thomas Wolf, an attorney for recovery. “But we need to impose meaningful sanctions, which means we need our district attorney’s cooperation.”
