A jury in San Francisco, USA, convicted 7 pro-Palestine activists who blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in 2024 to protest Israel's attacks on Gaza of misdemeanors.
According to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, the jury convicted each defendant of six separate misdemeanors, including false imprisonment, blocking a roadway, and unlawful assembly. One defendant was also found guilty of failing to obey a dispersal order.
The names of the 7 convicted protesters were announced in local media as Bhavika Anandpura, River Allen, Rocky Chau, Sara Cantor, Conrad de Jesus, Sarah Ferrell, and Em Tillotson.
Sentences to be Announced in August
The defendants' sentences will be announced in August. The maximum penalty for the misdemeanors is up to 5 years in prison.
The jury could not reach a verdict on the most serious charge, a felony conspiracy charge that carries up to 15 years in prison. Prosecutor Jenkins said, "We will now evaluate our options and determine the next steps."
Defense: Moral Responsibility
Defense attorneys argued that the activists felt a moral responsibility in the face of the destruction in Gaza and Washington's support for its ally. They also stated that after other methods, such as writing letters and contacting congressional representatives, proved ineffective, they chose to block the bridge.
The prosecution argued that the protest stopped traffic for 4 hours and posed a safety risk to those in the stranded vehicles.
Nuha Abusamra, an attorney representing one of the defendants, told local KQED television, "Taking a bridge and blocking traffic for a few hours is the bare minimum of what we should do as American citizens while our tax dollars continue to fund the mass genocide of Palestinians."
The Situation in Gaza
Israel's attacks on Gaza have led to the deaths of tens of thousands, a hunger crisis, and the displacement of nearly the entire population. Rights groups, academics, and United Nations investigations describe these attacks as genocide. Israel, however, defines its actions as legitimate self-defense against the Hamas-led attack in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.
In large-scale protests across the US in 2024, demands were made to end Israel's war in Gaza and cut Washington's support for its ally. The demonstrations also called on universities to divest from companies that support Israel.
