81 Arrested in Bay Bridge Protest over APEC Summit in San Francisco
- 81 people were arrested after a group of pro-Palestinian protesters shut down several lanes of the Bay Bridge during morning rush hour, causing major traffic delays in San Francisco. The protesters were calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.
- The protest was organized by several groups, including the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC Bay Area). The California Highway Patrol declared the protest an unlawful demonstration and arrested protesters using zip ties. The protesters are facing charges of unlawful assembly and failure to disperse.
- The protesters were well-organized and brought their vehicles to a stop in a coordinated effort. California Department of Transportation spokesman Bart Ney stated that the protest affected traffic all day and they had to tow 29 abandoned vehicles from the bridge, adding to the traffic delays. The highway patrol chief commented that the protesters’ approach was not the correct way to exercise First Amendment rights.
Bay Bridge Protest Causes Major Delays, 81 Arrested
On Thursday, 81 people were arrested during a protest on the Bay Bridge during rush hour, causing significant traffic disruption into San Francisco.
The protest, broadcast by local TV news outlets, featured representatives from various organizations demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Protesters began blocking westbound lanes at around 8 a.m.
Footage showed protesters chanting, tying themselves together with chains, and staging a ‘die-in’, covered by white sheets reading “Stop the genocide”. The California Highway Patrol declared the protest an “unlawful assembly”, arresting demonstrators using zip ties.
California Highway Patrol Chief Ezery Beauchamp told reporters, “This is not the right way to exercise First Amendment rights. It is 100 percent wrong and illegal”.
San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto reported one protester remains in custody, with the rest cited and released. The protesters face charges of unlawful assembly and failure to disperse.
Thursday’s protest coincided with the week-long Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit held in San Francisco. It follows several protests across the San Francisco Bay Area in response to the event.
Groups such as the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC Bay Area) organized the protest. AROC posted on their social media that the action was taken “in defense of Palestinian liberation”.
California Department of Transportation spokesman Bart Ney noted the protest would affect traffic all day. All westbound lanes reopened by noon, according to California Highway Patrol officer Adib Zeid.
Beauchamp stated that protesters who drove onto the bridge likely discarded their keys into the Pacific Ocean, causing further delays due to the need to tow dozens of vehicles. Ney confirmed that 29 abandoned vehicles were towed.
Beauchamp commended the protesters’ organization, noting that the highway patrol did all it could. He added, “You can exercise your First Amendment rights, but not on the Bay Bridge”.
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