In November, San Francisco will be the host to the biggest forum of international governments the city has seen in nearly 80 years: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation event.
The APEC Economic Leaders' Week will run from Nov. 11 to 17. The APEC CEO Summit will be held from Nov. 14 to 16 at the Moscone Center.
And when it comes to town, so will President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the leaders of 20 other nations as well.
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With so many heads of state in town, the city’s residents can expect a high level of security. To give people an idea of what to expect, the San Francisco Police and the U.S. Secret Service held a press conference on the issue Wednesday.
“The number one priority of the Secret Service — as well as everyone standing here today — is the safety of the world leaders, the attendees coming to the APEC summit as well as the general public,” said Secret Service Special Agent Jeremy Brown.
APEC’s main events will be held at Moscone Center, so several streets surrounding that part of the Market District will either be closed outright or have restricted traffic. In addition, the Nob Hill area will also be affected.
The security measures will take a variety of forms. Buses and the central subway line will be rerouted, delivery vehicles will be screened in security zones, and the Secret Service will be imposing flight and maritime restrictions on the bay.
To help with such a large event, the San Francisco police and city Sheriff’s Department will be coordinating with the California Highway Patrol and an array of federal agencies.
“Let me be clear,” said Police Chief Bill Scott, “any act of violence against any members of the public or against law enforcement will not be tolerated.”
APEC’s members meet on a yearly basis, with this year’s meeting including 21 economies including the U.S., Mexico, Canada, China and Australia. All countries along the Pacfic Ocean and South China Sea.
“It’s pretty historic, what’s happening,” said Jonathan Grubb, the Chief Operating Officer with the Bay Area Council. “But on a practical level for the people who are here, it’s going to be a bit of a headache. A lot of reads are going to be shut down.”
Along with the secured areas where the conference is happening and where attendees are staying, there will also be off-site events. On Nov. 15, for example, much of the Embarcadero will be closed to the public for events at the exploratorium.
Other events will be hosted aboard the historic Klamath Ferry Boat, which is also the headquarters for the Bay Area council.
While the weeklong event is likely to create challenges for city residents, organizers also hope it will provide a boon for the city.
“It’s about 30,000 people that are coming here to visit,” said Grubb. “So there’s a big economic boost from that to hotels but also restaurants and everything else. It also can be kind of a restart button for our tourism industry.”
