10/16/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NAACP San Francisco and Oakland Branches Denounce Calls for Federal Troops: “Our Communities Need Investment, Not Troops”
San Francisco, CA — October 16, 2025
The San Francisco and Oakland Branches of the NAACP are sounding the alarm against recent calls to deploy federal troops or National Guard forces to San Francisco, a move they say would endanger, not protect, the very communities already burdened by over-policing and systemic neglect.
“Let’s be clear: flooding our streets with federal troops is not a public safety plan, it’s a public failure,” said Rev. Dr. Jonathan Z. Butler, President of the NAACP San Francisco Branch. “You don’t fix poverty with policing. You fix it with jobs, housing, and healthcare.
The branches emphasized that safety begins with justice and that real protection comes from investment not militarization.
“As both cities search for new police chiefs, we need leaders who see our humanity,” said Cynthia Adams, President of the NAACP Oakland Branch. “We want police chiefs who partner with the people, not police the people.”
The NAACP is calling on civic and corporate leaders, including Marc Benioff, Elon Musk, and others who have weighed in on public safety, to put their money where their messages are: invest in the communities that have been left behind.
“Our demand is simple,” Butler said. “Invest in education, fund housing, build health equity. If you want safer streets, then start by creating stronger communities.”
The NAACP branches reaffirm their commitment to working alongside city officials, organizers, and business leaders who share a vision for true safety that is rooted in dignity, opportunity, and justice for all San Franciscans and Oaklanders.
For press inquiries, contact:
NAACP San Francisco Branch
Email: [email protected]
NAACP Oakland Branch
Email: [email protected]
