In a bold move that highlights ongoing tensions surrounding social justice and corporate influence, a group of approximately 20 San Francisco activists gathered on a Monday afternoon in the courtyard of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital to advocate for a significant change.
Sasha Cuttler, a retired nurse and event organizer, expressed the group's intent clearly: "We’re going to get the ‘Zuckerberg’ off of San Francisco General Hospital." The goal was straightforward yet symbolic—replace the letters of Zuckerberg’s name with handmade construction paper boxes that would spell out “Pretti Good,” in honor of two Minnesotans who lost their lives due to actions taken by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.
Mike Dingle, a retiree from the Service Employees International Union who dedicated over a decade to working at the hospital as part of the lift team, critiqued Zuckerberg’s contributions. "Zuckerberg bought some furniture and just put his name on it. It’s just disgusting," he remarked. Dingle took the initiative to design the boxes that would cover each letter in the hospital’s name, spending time measuring the sign at night and crafting the boxes the following afternoon.
Participants in the protest wore blue bunny ears to honor five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, a child from Minnesota whose family faced deportation threats. They voiced their concerns about Zuckerberg and his companies, asserting that they have caused lasting damage through collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Recently, Meta faced backlash for blocking any links shared on its platforms that could identify ICE agents, with Cuttler pointing out the irony: "They claim it's to prevent harassment, yet Mark Zuckerberg has violated the privacy of countless individuals."
Former District 4 Supervisor Gordon Mar joined the demonstration, having long criticized the association of Zuckerberg’s name with the hospital. In fact, back in 2020, he passed a resolution opposing the name due to Facebook's policies not aligning with San Francisco's values of human rights, dignity, or social justice. He noted, "Even then, we understood that Facebook’s policies did not reflect our city’s commitment to these principles. We warned that the platform served as a vehicle for hate speech and misinformation. Since then, those warnings have only been confirmed further."
Chants of "Zuck off!" and "Pretti Good!" echoed during the event, underscoring the participants' fervor. It's noteworthy that the hospital underwent significant renovations funded by San Francisco taxpayers through an $887 million bond in 2008, while Zuckerberg made a donation of $75 million in 2015. Defenders of Zuckerberg argue that city officials encouraged him to attach his name to the facility, believing it would inspire other large donations; however, this claim remains unverified and if true, it did not lead to the anticipated financial influx.
Mar commented, "While the donation appeared substantial, it represented only a small fraction of his income at the time—about an hour and a half—and came with enduring advertising rights on our public resources."
Brother Sinthetic Soul, a nun affiliated with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and a patient at Ward 86, the hospital’s AIDS and HIV center, expressed discomfort with the hospital being named after the Facebook founder. "It’s abhorrent that we name an institution after someone whose empire does harm," Brother Sin stated, referencing the negative impacts of Instagram on the mental health of young adults.
Ruth Radetsky, a former teacher and friend of Cuttler, also attended the protest after participating in another demonstration urging state pension funds to divest from Tesla. "This is absolutely important to me," she said, emphasizing her commitment to the cause.
While the name change orchestrated by the activists was temporary and involved makeshift paper boxes, Cuttler hopes it will remain visible for at least a week before the hospital responds. She envisions a future where the Board of Supervisors places the issue before voters, allowing them to determine an official name change.
As of now, the Department of Public Health has not responded to inquiries regarding this event. Before departing for an appointment at Ward 86, Brother Sin offered a blessing for the new sign: "May everyone who enters here receive care that is Pretti Good, Pretti Compassionate, and Pretti Focused on healing rather than branding."
I am an intern reporting from Bayview-Hunters Point, having recently graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in Bilingual Spanish Journalism. My previous writing experience includes contributions to SFSU’s student newspaper, Golden Gate Xpress, and an internship at Radio Bilingüe.
