S.F. had its own demagogue who capitalized on racist grievances
Gary Kamiya
FacebookTwitterEmail
Denis Kearney, a San Francisco politician and activist known for his anti-Chinese bigotry in the 1870s and ’80s, in an undated photo./ The Chronicle
Almost 150 years before Donald Trump harangued a mob that invaded the U.S. Capitol, San Francisco had its own demagogue who rose to prominence by capitalizing on the rage of disaffected working-class voters, demonizing minorities and promising to drain the swamp of corrupt officials.
The difference between Denis Kearney and the 45th president of the United States is that Kearney not only incited his followers to storm the citadels of power, he personally led them there.