Police arrested several pro-Palestinian demonstrators during an hours-long blockade that closed San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge during morning rush hour on April 15.
The protest, part of a worldwide cease-fire event aimed at crippling economic hubs, resulted in massive commuter delays throughout the Bay Area.
The California Highway Patrol responded to the event, which started just before 8 a.m., assisted by local police departments, according to CHP Spokesman Darrel Horner.
Northbound and southbound lanes were reopened at about 12:30 p.m., according to a post on X. Officials expected to arrest 25-30 demonstrators, according to news reports.
“The demonstrators are peaceful. They are complying,” Mr. Horner said.
No injuries were reported, and traffic was diverted around the East Bay, causing headaches for people trying to get to work. Interstate 880 in Oakland was also blocked by protesters during peak commuting hours.
Law enforcement, some in riot gear, stood by as protesters on the Golden Gate held a banner that read: “Stop the world for Gaza” across southbound lanes. The CHP also closed the northbound lanes.
Similar demonstrations erupted across the country Monday as part of a worldwide campaign by protesters to shut down economic hubs.
The campaign, organized by A15 Action, called for blocking the “arteries of capitalism and jamming the wheels of production,” according to the group’s website.
“There is a sense in the streets in this recent and unprecedented movement for Palestine that escalation has become necessary,” the group said on its website. “There is a need to shift from symbolic actions to those that cause pain to the economy.”
