SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — According to a press advisory released by the Golden Gate 26 Press Coordinators, seven Bay Area community members arrested during a protest against the genocide in Palestine two years ago are set to face felony jury trials beginning April 30.
The San Francisco activists called for an end to what they described as the Palestinian genocide, which they said was financed by American tax dollars. The Israeli military, funded by the United States, killed at least 30,000 Palestinians over the span of five months, more than 13,000 of whom were children.
The United Nations General Assembly reported that more than 71,000 people were injured with life-changing mutilations, 70% of residential areas had been destroyed, and 80% of the population had been forcibly displaced.
The Bay Area community members arrested on April 15, 2024, for their activism atop the Golden Gate Bridge came to be known as the Golden Gate 26.
Several months after their arrest in August, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged each of the 26 individuals with 44 criminal counts, and eight were charged with felony conspiracy.
Every individual charged received 38 counts of false imprisonment and warrants for their re-arrest.
Through social media, Jenkins promised money to “victims” of the anti-genocide protest if they submitted claims against those charged.
According to the press advisory, that effort produced the claims that eventually formed the basis of the case’s restitution, which was “set at nearly $200,000, including over $162,500 pursued by the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District.”
During the felony preliminary hearings that took place in November 2024, a judge cited the $200,000 restitution figure in deciding to maintain the charges as felonies and deny a reduction to misdemeanors.
One of the Golden Gate 26, Sarah Cantor, commented on what she described as the punitive manner in which her and her fellow activists’ actions were being treated.
“Our goal on that April day was to show that the status quo cannot continue while our government funds genocide,” Cantor said. “The fact that our solidarity is being so harshly criminalized should be a wake-up call to anyone who values the freedom to protest unjust government. The attempt to divide us into ‘good protestors’ and ‘bad protestors’ weakens our movements and endangers us all.”
Although it took another year, a grassroots campaign and extensive court proceedings, the restitution claim was ultimately withdrawn and settled.
The claim filed by the Golden Gate Bridge District was historic in that it was the first time bridge operators sought financial compensation for a traffic disruption, according to the press advisory.
That development raised concerns among supporters that the protesters were being retaliated against because of their criticism of the genocide in Palestine and America’s ties with Israel.
Supporters of the activists also pointed to similarities between the San Francisco case and a separate matter involving pro-Palestinian protesters at Stanford University who were also subjected to restitution claims.
When the motion to reduce the severity of the charges was presented again, a second judge denied the request.
The remaining seven individuals are scheduled to be tried at San Francisco’s Civic Center Courthouse, where they face felony conspiracy charges and 13 to 15 misdemeanor counts.
Defense attorney Shaffy Moeel emphasized what he described as the conscientious nature of the protest and the broader implications of the prosecution.
“What happened on that bridge was an act of conscience, not spectacle,” Moeel said. “These were people standing up for the most basic human values — refusing to look away from mass suffering abroad, and giving voice to what so many Americans feel but rarely see reflected by those in power.”
“When the ordinary channels go quiet, people find ways to be seen and heard; this case asks whether, in a moment of real human urgency, peaceful collective expression still has a place in our democracy,” Moeel added.
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“Several months after their arrest in August, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged each of the 26 individuals with 44 criminal counts, and eight were charged with felony conspiracy.”
Love it, about time.
Absolutely.
Turns out that San Francisco, of all places, elected an actual DA (instead of a defense attorney for that position).