Rally Announced to Demand Justice for Bubbles

In the early morning of Saturday September 9th, Anthony Torres (aka Bubbles) was shot and murdered in the Tenderloin, rocked the nightlife and the queer community of San Francisco. I wrote this eulogy to him that summed up his important to The City.

As today, over ten days later, while police have identified a suspect, they have yet to make an arrest and he is still at large. The community is demanding justice for Bubbles and answers to why his murderer isn’t in jail yet.

This Friday, September 22nd, Friends, family, the LGBTQ community, musicians and local artists will gather together on the steps of SF City Hall to demand justice. The march and rally will start at 4pm at Larkin St. and Myrtle, where Bubbles was murdered, making its way to SFPD’s Tenderloin Station before culminating in a massive, unified rally at City Hall’s steps at 5pm.

Please show up and please spread the word. It’s time to demand #JusticeForBubbles.

Full press release below these images from Bubbles’ vigil:

For Immediate Press Release

SF Community Convenes at City Hall to Demand Justice for Anthony Torres
(Bubbles) and the Arrest of the Murder Suspect

San Francisco, CA (September 19, 2017) – Friends, family, the LGBTQ community, musicians and local artists will gather at the steps of City Hall on Friday, September 22, 2017 at 5pm to demand that SFPD find the murderer responsible for killing a local artist, a nightlife fixture, activist, and Tenderloin resident, Anthony Torres aka Bubbles. The march and rally will start at 4pm at Larkin St. and Myrtle, making its way to SFPD’s Tenderloin Station before culminating in a massive, unified rally at City Hall’s steps at 5pm. Bubbles was brutally shot 5 times outside of New Century Theater on Saturday, September 9th before 3am. The suspect came out of the strip club, chased Torres across the street, and fatally shooting him. Torres aka Bubbles died at the scene next to a JCDecaux public bathroom. Investigators have identified a suspect of interest. No announced arrests have been made. The suspect remains at large. At this time last year, San Francisco had 30 homicides. According to news sources, Torres’ death marks the 45th homicide in San Francisco in 2017, continuing an alarming trend.

Thousands of friends and acquaintances have expressed shock, anger, and sadness that Bubbles was brutally murdered just steps from his Tenderloin apartment. Although SFPD insists that it does not consider Torres’ death a hate crime, many local residents are concerned that SFPD was too quick to dismiss it. Bubbles, the alter ego, non-gender conforming persona that Anthony Torres portrayed, was well known in the music and art community. He was often seen out and about living an eccentric, mercurial and often controversial lifestyle. As a resident of San Francisco for 20 years, Torres did things his way and has left a colorful, memorable legacy. He often insisted that party revelers “Shut up and dance”, which has grown into a catchphrase among the music and arts community. Charlotte Kaufman (aka The Baroness), DJ and close friend recalls Bubbles impacting many San Franciscans for years. She believed in BUBBLES, “Who was true to himself, making no apologies for his lifestyle and self expression. He had a million dreams. Anthony also made damn sure that you understood how much he believed in you, in me, in all of us really. Even on his darkest days he could bring smiles to our faces and laughter to our hearts. I feel that we lost a light that could never be replaced.”

Friends and supporters raised over $13,000 in the wake of Bubbles’ death for memorial services and other planned gatherings. Mourners and the public continue to search for answers as no new information has been revealed. SFPD’s homicide unit is still investigating the murder. Mayor Ed Lee finally responded to criticism of his silence on Bubbles’ tragic death with an official statement on Saturday, September 16th, a week
later.

Contact:
Tuan Nguyen
Political & Non-Profit Consultant/friend/organizer
tuanner@yahoo.com