By Vanguard Staff
SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco jury was unable to reach a verdict Thursday on felony conspiracy charges and one misdemeanor trespassing charge against seven protesters accused of blocking traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge during an April 15, 2024, demonstration against U.S. support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The jury did, however, convict the defendants on several lesser misdemeanor offenses.
The seven defendants were among a larger group known as the “Golden Gate 26,” who participated in the Tax Day protest that shut down traffic on the bridge. Six of the seven defendants locked arms across traffic lanes, while one served as a police liaison during the demonstration. Deputy Public Defender Anthony Gedeon represented Emily Tillotson, and Deputy Public Defender Nuha Abusamra represented Juliette River Allen.
According to the verdict, jurors were unable to unanimously convict any of the seven defendants on felony conspiracy or misdemeanor trespassing. The defendants were convicted on misdemeanor offenses that included false imprisonment, obstruction of a thoroughfare and unlawful assembly. Defendant Sara Cantor was also convicted of one misdemeanor count of refusing to disperse at a riot.
The case initially involved a far larger number of criminal allegations. According to materials released following the verdict, prosecutors originally filed 1,144 charges against members of the protest group in August 2024. Those charges were reduced over the course of more than two years of litigation, leaving 57 charges for the jury to consider at trial.
Trial testimony included evidence that protesters had brought water and snacks for motorists delayed by the demonstration and had developed emergency plans before the action. Evidence also showed that some motorists were able to turn around and take alternate routes. According to the defense, Cantor asked authorities to open an additional traffic lane, but officials declined to do so. A representative from the Golden Gate Bridge Authority testified that it would have been possible to move the central barrier to create another lane of traffic.
Following the verdict, Gedeon and Abusamra criticized both the prosecution and law enforcement’s handling of the case.
“These courageous protesters were taking a stand against unyielding state violence and the illegal U.S. funding of atrocities in Gaza, and the government responded by trying to intimidate and imprison them,” said San Francisco Deputy Public Defenders Anthony Gedeon and Nuha Abusamra.
The attorneys also challenged the charging decisions made by prosecutors.
“Despite a history of protest on the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and California Highway Patrol took the unprecedented step of using social media to solicit people to come forward to seek restitution. The District Attorney then pursued egregious felony criminal charges that the jury hung on. While we are disappointed that the jury returned misdemeanor convictions, today’s verdict reflects that jurors were not persuaded that the evidence supported the extraordinary felony charges the prosecution chose to bring.”
The verdict leaves unresolved the felony conspiracy allegations, as the hung jury permits prosecutors to decide whether to retry those charges.
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