San Francisco Pro-ICE billboards swapped in time for Super Bowl

A billboard in San Francisco's Embarcadero District. This and other pro-ICE billboards were taken down as of Wednesday morning. (Paula Sibulo / KQED News)

Some controversial billboards near Fisherman's Wharf tied to the Super Bowl and expressing support for ICE have been taken down.

The billboards were replaced Wednesday morning with one that states the wharf welcomes locals and visitors of all backgrounds and celebrates cultural diversity.

The Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District requested the swap.

Executive director Bri Maughan says as soon as her team saw the pro-ICE messages, they connected with the building owner and media company that operates the billboards.

"The core purpose of the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District is to promote, maintain and advance Fisherman's Wharf as a world-class destination," Maughan said. "And to us that means a world-class destination means that we are welcome to all who visit our district."

Conservative group American Sovereignty claimed responsibility for the original billboards....with Super-Bowl-themed messages like "Defensive player of the year: ICE."

Listen here on KQED: https://omny.fm/shows/kqed-segmented-audio/kqed-newscast-0f5b0b53-b328-4dc8-a8f1-7b944c97c20c?fbclid=PAZnRzaAQUdHFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaemAcgPBI9NTEhITgglkqx2aQn8igq1eHbq3smxYaWpwVNE9UEy0QIlbBAQ-g_aem_q6WRGXdRxYs-ARXiEBBr8Q