SAN FRANCISCO– Seventy-eight protesters were ordered to perform five hours of community service and pay restitution to avoid criminal charges for allegedly blocking traffic on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge for hours in November to enforce a ceasefire in Gaza demands, prosecutors said.
The Nov. 16 protest came as San Francisco hosted President Joe Biden and other world leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Protesters calling for a ceasefire have also blocked major roads in cities including Los Angeles, New York, Boston and Philadelphia.
“This is not only a victory for those exercising their right to protest a genocide fueled by their tax dollars, but also for the growing global movement demanding freedom for the Palestinian people,” said Aisha Nizar, one of the protesters , in a press release. . “We will emerge from this case even stronger and more united in our commitment to each other and to the people of Palestine.”
About 200 protesters took part in the San Francisco demonstration during the World Trade Summit, blocking all San Francisco-bound lanes on the bridge’s upper deck, with some drivers throwing their keys into the bay. Eighty people were arrested and 29 vehicles were towed. Protesters demanded that Biden call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
The 80 suspects were charged with false imprisonment, refusal to obey a peace officer, unlawful public assembly, refusal to disperse and obstruction of a street, sidewalk or other place open to the public. Prosecutors dropped one case due to insufficient evidence, and another person declined the court’s offer of a pretrial diversion program.
The remaining 78 accepted the court’s offer, which would require each person to pay a yet-to-be-determined amount of restitution to someone who had to be evacuated from the bridge, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said.
“We remain committed to ensuring that San Francisco is a safe city for everyone who lives in and enters our city,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement. “We will continue to ensure that there are appropriate opportunities for the expression of freedom of expression and social advocacy. exist and are protected in San Francisco. I truly believe we can promote freedom of expression while keeping our communities safe.”
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors in January approved a resolution calling for an extended ceasefire in Gaza, condemning both Hamas and the Israeli government and urging the Biden administration to push for the release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian aid. Dozens of other U.S. cities have passed similar resolutions that have no legal authority but reflect pressure on local governments to speak out on the war between Israel and Hamas.
More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the territory’s health ministry says. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in the count, but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead. About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in southern Israel in the October 7 attack that started the war. About 250 people were kidnapped and Hamas is still believed to be holding about 100 hostages.