[1] Many gay organizations including ACT UP had worked to get AB101 through the legislature,[2] with Rob Roberts and Connie Norman participating in a hunger strike.
Wilson said he vetoed the bill out of fear that it would be harmful to businesses from potential increases in lawsuits and would make California overall less competitive economically.
However, some political observers have argued that he decided to veto the bill due to pressure from religious right organizations and conservatives that he needed the continued support of to help fund his re-election campaign.
According to Koskovich, Jordan showed up in an attempt to gain publicity and earn more votes, as he was running for Mayor of San Francisco at the time.
However, a group of militant protesters angered by the antigay actions of the San Francisco Police Department under his leadership chased him out of the neighborhood, leading him to lose one of his black tassel loafers during the struggle.
Koskovich said that he never incited anyone to destroy property and was fearful that the protest would lead to violence against local businesses not directly affiliated with the government of California.
The entrance that was demolished included a stained-glass art piece commissioned by the Governor Jerry Brown administration entitled "Power of the Sun"; a photograph of protesters smashing the window appeared in the next day's edition of the San Francisco Examiner.
The newspaper published a photo of demonstrators climbing police barricades, which they used as impromptu ladders to set fire to that office.
[12][non-primary source needed][13] Koskovich stated that he was not involved in any property destruction that occurred, saying he was near the back of the crowd acting as a legal observer.