26 charged in Gaza war protest that shut down Golden Gate Bridge

Twenty-six people accused of shutting down the Golden Gate Bridge in April to protest the war in Gaza have been charged with a number of criminal offenses, with eight among them facing felony conspiracy charges, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced on Saturday morning.

The protests took place April 15 during a weekday morning commute, with protesters chaining themselves to vehicles and blocking traffic from 8 a.m. to noon. That same day, demonstrators also blocked Interstate 880 in Oakland, demanding an end to the war and U.S. military support of Israel.

All 26 of those charged face counts of false imprisonment, trespassing to interfere with a business, obstruction of a thoroughfare, unlawful assembly, refusal to disperse at a riot and failure to obey a uniformed officer. Eight people are charged with felony conspiracy, while the other 18 face only misdemeanor conspiracy counts.

Arrest warrants were issued for all individuals charged, and they must surrender to the California Highway Patrol no later than Monday, Aug. 12, Jenkins announced in a statement.

“While we must protect avenues for free speech, the exercise of free speech cannot compromise public safety,” Jenkins said. “The demonstration on the Golden Gate Bridge caused a level of safety risk, including extreme threats to the health and welfare of those trapped, that we as a society cannot ignore or allow.”

Approximately 20,000 cars travel over the Golden Gate Bridge on a typical weekday morning, according to data from the Golden Gate Bridge Transit Authority. The Golden Gate Bridge District is estimated to have lost over $162,000 in revenue on April 15 as a result of the protest.

Among those trapped at the bridge was a patient who missed a pre-operation appointment ahead of brain surgery, and a surgeon who had to cancel and reschedule an entire day’s surgery schedule.