Yeah I'm sure handshake politics goes a long way in these neighborhoods often to the detriment of the unsuspecting, unconnected and un-special-interest-group attached renters and owners.
Ellis evictions suck particularly hard because they can happen out of the blue for any building, even if you chose one suited for long tenancies. I don't know what percentage results in protests, but it's quite a few. Some of the contested ones fail on technical grounds before they get to the protest stage [1].
[1] https://sftu.org/ellis/