Anti-tech protesters invade Kevin Rose's SF neighborhood

Although Mike Judge is about to launch a new era of startup culture ridicule, some people prefer a more boots-on-the ground approach — even if it borderlines harassment.

For example, today Google Ventures partner Kevin Rose said protesters have targeted his San Francisco home by passing out fliers titled “Kevin Rose! Parasite!” to neighbors and holding up signs that read “Ima Snip Snip yr Ballz.” The fliers, which list Rose’s address, criticize him for his alleged role in widening the gap between low-income San Francisco locals and the typically higher income technology entrepreneurs. (Similar protests have sprung up in the city over the last several months, including protests of tech company’s private bus service using public bus lanes and more recently a protest of the Crunchies award show.)

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“As a partner venture capitalist at Google Ventures, Kevin directs the flow of capital from Google into the tech startup bubble that is destroying San Francisco,” the flier reads. “The start-ups that he funds bring the swarms of young entrepreneurs that have ravaged the landscapes of San Francisco and Oakland.”

While Rose didn’t condone the protesters’ actions, he did agree that more should be done to address rising rent for housing in the area.

https://twitter.com/kevinrose/status/452879030719488000

https://twitter.com/kevinrose/status/452879321460248576

Rose is certainly one of the more recognizable faces in the SF tech world. Not only was he host for now defunct cable channel Tech TV (and later G4), but Rose was also founder of community news site Digg, its sister web show diggnation, and founder of web TV network Revision3. Perhaps that’s why protestors decided to target him over others in the community.

Via TechMeme