Left-wing protesters calling for an Israel-Gaza ceasefire caused the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to shut down Thursday morning.
At least 50 protesters were arrested and 15 vehicles were towed over the effort to block traffic, according to SFGate. Around 250 police were mobilized to deal with the protest, CBS Bay Area reported.
California Highway Patrol officer Art Montiel said between 100 and 200 protesters took part in the demonstration.
“It’s gonna take a little while. However, we’re not going to be blocking all the lanes so we’re hoping we can reopen at least one or two lanes in the meantime so that traffic can start flowing,” Montiel said.
Podcaster Robby Starbuck shared footage of the demonstration on X, formerly Twitter.
“Left wing activists shut down the Bay Bridge during peak commuting hours. Doing this is a really good way to get people to hate you and your cause no matter what your cause is. People who do this pose a threat to stranded drivers jobs and health,” he wrote. “They deserve hard prison time. Do you agree or disagree?”
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
