Earlier this morning – while Salesforce kicked off the first day of its flagship conference, Dreamforce – a group of protesters from the Bay Resistance group took to the streets outside Moscone. Their goal was clear: encourage Salesforce, a monumental company in the Bay Area, to sign a democracy pledge and end ICE contracts.
This comes after CEO Marc Benioff was criticized heavily for his comments surrounding the National Guard at last year’s conference, and his updated appearance during the company’s keynote address is notable.
A Message to Salesforce
Bay Resistance describes itself as “a powerful network of community organizations, unions and neighborhood groups” that work together to defend their communities and “end fascism” in the Bay Area.
This morning, as the first day of Dreamforce kicked off, the organization staged what they called a “peaceful, priority, mass rally” to encourage Salesforce and the wider tech sector to cut ties with ICE and sign the Businesses for Democracy Pledge. This pledge is a public commitment for business leaders and corporations to support civic participation, protect free and fair elections, and defend democratic institutions.
“Salesforce has a history of showing up for our communities,” the group wrote on leaflets they were handing out as they walked. “As a Bay Area tech leader, Salesforce has an opportunity to use its influence to defend democracy, refuse to profit from family separation, and to push the tech industry to follow.”
Familiar Territory
This protest puts the spotlight back on a topic that was particularly important at last year’s conference. Benioff, at the time, showed support for President Donald Trump’s recent idea to send National Guard troops into San Francisco, before issuing a public apology.
Not only that, but the CEO also caused further upset among many of Salesforce’s customers and employees with a “joke” made about ICE at the Las Vegas Company Kickoff event in February.
Within the last year, Salesforce’s dedication to the Govtech sector has been particularly apparent, with multiple high-profile Missionforce contracts.
A New Benioff?
Marc Benioff once again took to the stage for another successful keynote, potentially unaware of the protest having just taken place outside. This time around, he took to the stage without his signature custom shoes, sporting a red tie, sharp black suit, and an American flag pin.
It is unclear whether this means that Benioff has entered a more polished, professional era or the tech CEO just wants to send a particular message.
Final Thoughts
At this time, Marc Benioff has not commented on this morning’s protest. Salesforce have declined to comment on this matter.
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