Media Contact for the Union Square BID: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry

(415) 693-0583 // cell: (415) 412-2496 // news@davidperry.com

Demonstration Alert / Media Advisory

WHAT: Anti-War March marking Third Anniversary of War in Iraq

WHEN: Saturday, March 18

11am: Rally begins at Civic Center

12:30pm: March from Civic Center to Union Square area and back to Civic Center

1:30pm-ish: Marchers arrive in Union Square area

DETAIL: Saturday, March 18th at 11am anti-war demonstrators will gather at Civic Center Plaza to mark the 3rd Anniversary of the Iraqi invasion.  The march will begin at 12:30pm and will loop around O'Farrell Street, south of Union Square Park, then go across Market to Mission and back to Civic Center where a second rally will commence at Civic Center Plaza that will run until 4:00pm. “We anticipate a large number of demonstrators marching through the Union Square area and the Union Square BID will be assisting the Police with crowd control and clean-up,” said Leigh Ann Baughman, Executive Director of the Union Square BID.

The Union Square Business Improvement District (BID) is a 10-block area where property owners assess themselves to make their community cleaner, safer and more vibrant. The BID assessment is used to purchase services that supplement those provided by the City. The Union Square BID contains 97 properties and is roughly bounded by Sutter Street to the North, Stockton and Grant Streets to the East, Market Street to the South and Cyril Magnin to the West. In 1994, California joined most states in the country and passed enabling legislation for property based business improvement districts (PBIDS). There are currently over 1,000 BIDS in the United States and Canada. Also part of the Union Square BID’s success are the “TAGGers.” “TAGGers” (an acronym for Take Away Graffiti and Grime ) are the primary caretakers for Union Square and the whole BID district. Seven days a week, throughout the day, they sweep the sidewalks, pick-up and dispose of trash and debris, and remove graffiti from storefronts, buildings, area light poles and street furniture. Sidewalks are steam cleaned twice a month. BID “Ambassadors” are a visible presence for safety and maintenance in the BID’s ten-square-block borders. Easily identifiable by their red and blue uniforms, the Ambassadors provide visitors and tourists with a variety of services including directions, transportation information, emergency response, and even help elderly shoppers with their bags as they cross San Francisco’s busy streets.

For more information on the Union Square Business Improvement District, access their website at www.unionsquarebid.com, or call (415) 421-3135.