Arrest warrant issued for Golden Gate Bridge protesters

In a surprise move, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has just issued an arrest warrant for 26 people involved in a mass protest blockade of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in April. The warrant requires the individuals to turn themselves in by Monday.

Last April 15^thFor four hours, protesters gathered in the southbound lanes of the bridge toward San Francisco, parking their vehicles on the roadway and chaining themselves together. Commuters going to school or work were held up, deliveries, doctors, patients and travelers trying to catch a flight out of SFO were chased away. Police and California Highway Patrol were on the scene within seconds. The Golden Gate Bridge authorities' statement summarizes the events of that day here. Protesters were arrested and the roadway cleared. 26 people were arrested and released to county jail.

The activists' concern? They want to demand that the US leadership immediately end its support for Israel.

DA Jenkins is now demanding justice for those affected by the protesters' actions and is sending an important message – that such lawless, dangerous mass protests will be met with the full force of the law. Thousands of commuters were affected, patients stranded on their way to hospitals or surgery appointments were left stranded.

The bridge protesters are charged with false imprisonment, trespassing to disrupt a business, obstructing through traffic, unlawful assembly, failure to disperse during a riot and failure to obey the lawful order of a uniformed officer. Eight of the protesters are charged with aggravated conspiracy.

Jenkins' legal action is in stark contrast to the recent pro-Hamas sentiment, expressed in public displays of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, supported by current San Francisco mayoral candidate and Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin and his fellow District 5 Board member Dean Preston, both of whom are seeking election victories in November.

Two years ago, Brooke Jenkins was sworn in as our chief prosecutor in San Francisco, the culmination of a multi-year effort to successfully remove former District Attorney Chesa Boudin. She is proving to be well suited for the job.

Regardless of one's opinion on the war between Israel and Hamas that has been raging for months, the protesters went far beyond freedom of expression and enthusiastically endangered public safety. Blocking roads, especially a bridge, is illegal and dangerous for motorists and emergency workers who had to help clear the incident.

The National Lawyers Guild and several civil rights activists condemned the police actions on the bridge that day as ruthless and opposed Jenkins' attempt to obtain statements from potential victims.

It is important to remember that between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m., an estimated 12,000 vehicles use the Golden Gate Bridge heading south, resulting in an estimated loss of over $162,000 in revenue due to the blockade that day. The CHP, which led the investigation after the protest, spoke to 200 people affected by the blockade. 35 people missed flights, doctor's appointments or work.

It all boils down to this: From what one hears, this incident reflects the force an ideology (anti-Zionist, anti-Semitic rhetoric) in a cult-like, gangster manner. Innocent citizens who do their own thing, commute, go to appointments, are supposed to bow to radicals who actively hold them against their will and demand compliance with their worldview. This is a form of left-wing fascism that, of course, has no place in San Francisco or anywhere else in society as a whole.

We owe thanks to District Attorney Brooke Jenkins for her efforts in bringing these individuals to justice.