The Greenberg Brief: Golden Gate Bridge Protesters Arrest Warrant Issued

In a surprise move, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins just issued an arrest warrant for twenty-six individuals involved in an April mass protest blockade on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The warrant demands individuals turn themselves in by this Monday.

Last April 15^th, for four hours, protesters assembled in the southbound  lanes of the bridge heading into San Francisco and parking their vehicles on the roadway, chained themselves to each other. Effectively stopping commuters to school and work, halting deliveries, doctors, patients and scuttling travelers catching a flight out of SFO. Police and California Highway Patrol were on the scene within moments. The Golden Gate Bridge authority statement summarizes the event that day here. The protesters were arrested and roadway cleared. Twenty six individuals were booked and released at county jail.

The activists’ cause? To demand United States’ leaders act immediately to stop support of Israel.

DA Jenkins is now seeking justice for those affected by the protesters’ actions, as well as the sending an all-important signal – that such lawless, dangerous mass protests will be met with the arm of the law. Thousands of commuters were affected, stranding medical patients headed to hospitals, surgeries schedules.

The bridge protesters have been charged with false imprisonment, trespassing to interfere with a business, obstruction of thoroughfare, unlawful assembly, refusal to disperse at a riot and failure to obey the lawful order of a uniformed officer. Eight of the protesters are facing more severe felony conspiracy charges.

Legal action by Jenkins stands in stark contrast to much of the prevailing pro-Hamas sentiment lately, via public displays of anti-Zionism and antisemitism being enabled by current San Francisco mayoral candidate and Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin and his colleague District 5 Board member Dean Preston, both seeking election victories this November.

Two years ago, Brooke Jenkins was sworn in as our chief prosecutorial officer in San Francsico, the culmination of a multi-year effort successfully recalling previous DA Chesa Boudin. She’s proving herself well-suited for the job.

Regardless of opinion on the Israel-Hamas war raging for months, protesters went far beyond free speech and enthusiastically endangered the public safety. Blocking roadways, especially a bridge, is illegal, dangerous for motorists, and first responders – who had to assist in clearing the incident.

The National Lawyers Guild and several civil liberties advocates decried the law enforcement response on the bridge that day as heavy-handed — and objected to Jenkins’ soliciting testimony from potential victims.

Bear in mind, an estimated twelve-thousand vehicles use Golden Gate Bridge between 8 a.m. and noon southbound, resulting in an estimated loss of more than $162,000 in revenue due to the blockade that day. The CHP which spearheaded the investigation following the protest, talked with two hundred individuals affected by the blockade. Thirty-five people missed flights, medical appointments or work.

It all comes down to this: By all accounts, this incident reflects the forcing of an ideology (antizionist, antisemitic rhetoric) in a cult-thug like manner. Demanding innocent citizens doing their own thing, commuting, heading to appointments, to bow down to radicals which actively hold them against their will and demand adherence to their world view. This is a form of Leftist fascism which of course has no place in San Francisco nor anywhere in society as a whole.

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