Bay Bridge Gaza ceasefire protesters to avoid trial, complete 5 hours of community service

Alex Baker
·2 min read
1

(BCN) — Nearly 80 protesters who shut down the Bay Bridge for hours in November have accepted community service and were ordered to pay restitution in exchange for the end to legal proceedings against them. The protesters blocked the westbound lanes of the bridge east of Treasure Island during the height of the morning commute on Nov. 16, 2023 to call for a ceasefire in Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Seventy-eight of the people charged for their alleged activity that day accepted a judge’s pre-plea offer Thursday to enter a diversion program, which includes completing five hours of community service within two months, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

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Also, they must all pay restitution to a woman who suffered a medical emergency and needed to be evacuated from the bridge after she was caught in the massive traffic jam that resulted from the protest, prosecutors said. According to the District Attorney’s Office, the total restitution amount to be paid will be set at a future date but the protesters put out a news release Thursday saying they expect to pay a maximum of $4,448.

“This is a victory not only for those exercising their right to protest a genocide being fueled by their tax dollars, but for the growing global movement demanding freedom for the Palestinian people,” protester Aisha Nizar said.

The protest coincided with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in San Francisco and President Joe Biden’s visit to the region. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said her office dismissed one case for lack of evidence and one person declined the diversion program and will be in court on April 15 for an arraignment.

“I truly believe that we can achieve engaging in free expression while maintaining the safety of our communities,” Jenkins said.

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