The non-partisan group, San Diego Rise Up, was formed in June 2021 to give people an outlet to share how COVID-19 has impacted their lives.
The founder, Melissa Grace, says she formed the group in response to supervisor, Nathan Fletcher, receiving an award from the San Diego Events Coalition for his leadership during the pandemic.
She says Fletcher is a "finger in the wind politician" and a "political flip-flopper" who was largely responsible for forcing small businesses in the area to shut down. After hearing that he was being awarded, she “couldn’t sleep at night,” and decided to form a protest. San Diego Rise Up was born.