SAN FRANCISCO, CA - On Monday, April 15th, the Golden Gate Bridge was shut down for close to five hours due to demonstrators protesting against the war in Gaza.
According to NBC News, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said that demonstrators used vehicles and chained themselves together in order to block travel lanes on the bridge. Protesters held signs that read, "stop the world for Gaza" and "stop arming Israel." NBC Bay Area reported that the protesting began around 7:30 a.m., when dozens of demonstrators stopped their vehicles and blocked all southbound lanes of the span.
Riley Hugo, a protest spokesperson said in a statement, "A lot of money that is going from individuals who are working really hard, we don't want that money going to Israel anymore." About 40 minutes later, CHP issued a Sig-alert for the southbound direction of the bridge and later on, they closed off the northbound lanes as well.
Around 10:30 a.m., CHP posted to social media, stating that they began making arrests. A total of 26 people were arrested during that protest. Out of the many cars that were part of the demonstration, several were towed and five in total were impounded. CHP Chief Don Goodbrand said that extra officers were brought in and staged to respond because they heard that a protest was planned.
CHP is charging people with conspiracy because of the coordinated protest. Goodbrand said, "You can protest any which way you want. But, it is unlawful to block a roadway and to prevent people from getting to work, emergency personnel from getting to help people. You can't do it." Along with the conspiracy charge, individuals arrested also face other charges ranging from vehicle code violations to false imprisonment for drivers who were trapped on the bridge for the duration of the demonstration.
CHP said that the Golden Gate Bridge was not the only roadway blocked by demonstrators at the same time. On Interstate 880 in Oakland, protesters reportedly chained themselves to 55-gallon drums filled with cement. CHP said in a statement, "They are actively working to remove these individuals and lanes will be reopened. These individuals will be arrested."
On Monday, April 15th, authorities in Chicago said that around 40 people were arrested at O'Hare International Airport after a group of protesters obstructed traffic. "Stop sending bombs," read the stop sign-like badges on the chests of protesters who blocked the expressway leading to O'Hare. These individuals connected themselves to one another with pipes over their arms.
The group Chicago Dissenters said that the protest date was chosen to coincide with the April 15th tax deadline. The group posted to social media, "O'Hare International Airport is one of the largest in the country and there will be NO business as usual while Palestinians suffer at the hands of American funded bombing by Israel."
In New York City, police made arrests after protesters blocked traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. According to the New York City Police Department, officers first responded to a planned protest on Wall Street around 2:15 p.m. by the group Within Our Lifetime before the protesters began moving toward the bridge.
In Seattle, an expressway leading to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was also blocked by protesters. According to KIRO 7, 46 people were arrested. Fox 13 reported that protesters waved Palestinian flags and a banner that read, "OUR TAXES ARE FUNDING GENOCIDE." These times demonstrations across the country were done in an effort to disrupt travel and get more eyes on their message.
According to NBC News, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said that demonstrators used vehicles and chained themselves together in order to block travel lanes on the bridge. Protesters held signs that read, "stop the world for Gaza" and "stop arming Israel." NBC Bay Area reported that the protesting began around 7:30 a.m., when dozens of demonstrators stopped their vehicles and blocked all southbound lanes of the span.
Riley Hugo, a protest spokesperson said in a statement, "A lot of money that is going from individuals who are working really hard, we don't want that money going to Israel anymore." About 40 minutes later, CHP issued a Sig-alert for the southbound direction of the bridge and later on, they closed off the northbound lanes as well.
Around 10:30 a.m., CHP posted to social media, stating that they began making arrests. A total of 26 people were arrested during that protest. Out of the many cars that were part of the demonstration, several were towed and five in total were impounded. CHP Chief Don Goodbrand said that extra officers were brought in and staged to respond because they heard that a protest was planned.
CHP is charging people with conspiracy because of the coordinated protest. Goodbrand said, "You can protest any which way you want. But, it is unlawful to block a roadway and to prevent people from getting to work, emergency personnel from getting to help people. You can't do it." Along with the conspiracy charge, individuals arrested also face other charges ranging from vehicle code violations to false imprisonment for drivers who were trapped on the bridge for the duration of the demonstration.
CHP said that the Golden Gate Bridge was not the only roadway blocked by demonstrators at the same time. On Interstate 880 in Oakland, protesters reportedly chained themselves to 55-gallon drums filled with cement. CHP said in a statement, "They are actively working to remove these individuals and lanes will be reopened. These individuals will be arrested."
On Monday, April 15th, authorities in Chicago said that around 40 people were arrested at O'Hare International Airport after a group of protesters obstructed traffic. "Stop sending bombs," read the stop sign-like badges on the chests of protesters who blocked the expressway leading to O'Hare. These individuals connected themselves to one another with pipes over their arms.
The group Chicago Dissenters said that the protest date was chosen to coincide with the April 15th tax deadline. The group posted to social media, "O'Hare International Airport is one of the largest in the country and there will be NO business as usual while Palestinians suffer at the hands of American funded bombing by Israel."
In New York City, police made arrests after protesters blocked traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. According to the New York City Police Department, officers first responded to a planned protest on Wall Street around 2:15 p.m. by the group Within Our Lifetime before the protesters began moving toward the bridge.
In Seattle, an expressway leading to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was also blocked by protesters. According to KIRO 7, 46 people were arrested. Fox 13 reported that protesters waved Palestinian flags and a banner that read, "OUR TAXES ARE FUNDING GENOCIDE." These times demonstrations across the country were done in an effort to disrupt travel and get more eyes on their message.
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Comments
2024-04-17T12:16-0400 | Comment by: thomas
$10,000 fine for blocking traffic.
2024-04-18T16:02-0400 | Comment by: Tim
Why do we allow these SPEED BUMPS to be an issue. Simply run them down in "Fear of your Life" .