They shut down the Golden Gate Bridge. Do they deserve more than a decade in prison?

Seven protesters charged with felonies face prison exposure up to 15 years for blocking traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge during a pro-Palestine protest in April 2024. The prosecution says the defendants physically obstructed a thoroughfare, bringing southbound lanes into San Francisco to a standstill for more than four hours. The case centers on whether the protesters’ nonviolent civil disobedience and their cause excuse breaking the law. The district attorney’s office previously charged additional participants, many of whom faced misdemeanors or had cases dismissed or diverted. A request for restitution tied to lost toll revenue was sought and later dropped. The trial is expected to run through late July.

"The San Francisco district attorney's office has charged the seven defendants with felonies that could see them imprisoned for up to 15 years. They were charged in August 2024 alongside 19 others, most of whom were facing misdemeanors and whose cases were dismissed or diverted."

"The seven on trial today, Assistant District Attorney Angela Roze made clear to the jury, were specifically involved in the physical blockade of the bridge, which brought traffic to a standstill for more than four hours on all southbound lanes coming into the city."

""This case is simple," Roze told the jury this morning, after presenting a video from the day of the blockade that appeared to show officers on the bridge interacting with Sarah Cantor, who identified herself as the "police liaison" during the April 15, 2024 incident. The video showed protesters blocking the road in cars and officers huddled around as Cantor communicated between the groups."

""While you may agree with their cause, and it may be an important one, it does not excuse breaking the law.""

Read at Mission Local