Queena Kim

Protesters at the corner of Howard and 3rd Street waiting for the arrival of President Barack Obama

Several hundred demonstrators gathered Tuesday in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood to protest during President Barack Obama's brief visit to the city, police said. The president visited the city for a campaign fundraiser.

The demonstrators were protesting an array of issues from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the Keystone pipeline plan and the recent federal crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries in California.

Renee Ridgeway, who works for Credo Mobile and is protesting the pipeline, played music for the crowd, including the rendition of Obama's "Yes We Can" speech that hip-hop star will.i.am put together in the run-up to the 2008 election.

The song inspired a generation of youth to rally for Obama. Four years later, played in the context of the protest, it takes on an entirely different meaning.

"I wanted to remind Obama of the thing he spoke about," Ridgeway said.

Occupy SF, an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement that has swept across the nation, was also in attendance.

"We're the 99 percent of the world," protesters shouted.

Police shut down several streets in the area until 4 p.m., including northbound Third Street from Folsom Street to Mission Street; southbound New Montgomery between Mission and Howard streets; Hawthorne Street between Howard and Folsom streets; and the intersection of Third and Howard streets.

Queena Kim

Protester in favor of medical marijuana waiting for President Obama.

Air Force One touched down at San Francisco International Airport at 12:55 p.m.

The president waved to a small crowd that had gathered for his arrival from the door of the aircraft, then walked quickly down the steps to the tarmac, where he was greeted by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

He spent about five minutes shaking hands and chatting with members of the public who were invited to attend, including about half a dozen children.

The president took a moment to hold a baby a woman had handed to him, and high-fived a boy who was sitting on a man's shoulders.

After giving some autographs — including one on a toy model of Air Force One that was brought by one of the children — he got into a black limousine and drove off with his motorcade to a fundraiser at the W Hotel at 181 Third St.

The motorcade arrived at  at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets for the event — which featured a performance by Jack Johnson — started at $5,000. Roughly 200 people were expected to attend.

Just after 3 p.m., Obama's motorcade headed back to SFO for a flight to Denver, where the president has two more fundraisers Tuesday night. He will head back to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Obama flew to the Bay Area from Los Angeles, where he attended fundraisers. He made an unnanounced visit to a Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles on Monday night, then taped a segment for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Tuesday morning that will air Tuesday night.

In one exchange, Leno asked the president whether he had been watching the GOP debates.

"I'm going to wait until everybody is voted off the island," Obama said to applause. "Once they narrow it down to one or two, I'll start paying attention."