PC: Daniel Lawrence Lu
Via Wikimedia Commons

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Dozens of community members joined the Golden Gate Bridge Board of Directors meeting last week, urging the board to withdraw its unprecedented $162,554 restitution claim against 26 Palestine solidarity protesters facing criminal charges for a Tax Day protest in 2024, according to a press release by the Golden Gate 26 Defense Committee.

The protesters, known as the “Golden Gate 26,” were arrested last April after allegedly blocking traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge to protest U.S. funding of Israel’s war in Gaza, according to the release.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged each protester with 44 counts, including conspiracy and false imprisonment, with seven of them facing felony conspiracy charges, the release said.

The Golden Gate Bridge District’s decision to seek restitution marks the first time in its history it has demanded financial compensation following a traffic disruption, the release added. The claim came after the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and California Highway Patrol publicly urged commuters to file restitution claims following the protest.

According to the release, the restitution demand represents a dangerous escalation in the criminalization of protests, potentially setting a precedent for future charging decisions by the DA’s office in protest-related cases.

“It gives prosecutors undue leverage to turn charges that would typically be misdemeanors into felonies,” the release stated.

Supporters of the Golden Gate 26 have appeared at monthly board meetings since July 2024 to speak on the burden the restitution places on the defendants, the release said.

“These are incredible, caring community members who don’t deserve this financial hardship, especially right now, with massive cuts to federal programs,” said Lauren Sepin, as quoted by the release. Sepin further referenced growing economic strain, especially with the ongoing government shutdown and cuts to federal programs.

“This is a burden on us collectively, as we’re actively trying to make up for these cuts and other hardships that people are facing,” Sepin said. “Our communities are hurting right now, and it is not a time to put further financial burden on us.”

The release quoted another supporter, Angelo Wood, who said the restitution would devastate the defendants. “They’re already losing income, taking time off for court, sometimes multiple times a month. Dropping this restitution charge will allow the defendants to focus on holistic community building,” Wood said.

“The GG26 include some of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. Within them are other educators—the kind students need—and they’re being withheld from their credentials due to these charges,” said middle school teacher and union vice president Opal Spencer, as cited in the release.

The release also highlighted labor voices who spoke in solidarity and were inspired by the Golden Gate 26’s actions last year.

Otis Nur, a third-generation San Franciscan and member of the Inlandboatmen’s Union, said his grandfather was a long-serving member of the bridge’s board. “When I heard the news of the action that the courageous demonstrators took on the bridge, and I heard the interviews with some of the folks who were in traffic being proud to be stuck in traffic for the cause of ending genocide in Gaza, that made my heart smile. Please drop the restitution,” Nur said, according to the release.

Jillian Tobin, a nurse and member of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, said the bridge district’s claim on the protesters is “inflated” and “directly fueling an excessive prosecution,” according to the release.

“As many people have pointed out, the money and the math do not line up,” Tobin said. “This was evidenced in the preliminary hearing when Judge Conroy stated that he could not reduce the charges because of this restitution. By insisting on this inflated restitution demand, you are forcing a full trial, which costs taxpayers far more than the claim itself,” Tobin added, as quoted by the release.

Following public comments, Director Amber Parrish directly addressed the crowd, acknowledging the hundreds who have spoken out in recent months, the release said.

“So many struggles for justice rely on civil disobedience to move this country forward. If we continue to criminalize that tradition, we risk silencing a generation of voices willing to stand up for what’s right,” Parrish said in the release.

“I hope that we respond in this moment with strength and a clear understanding that defending the rights of protest is a sacred responsibility that we all have,” she added.

The Golden Gate 26 are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 7 at 9 a.m. for a restitution hearing that will determine how much, if any, the group must pay the bridge district, according to the release.

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Categories: Breaking News Civil Rights San Francisco Tags: Brooke Jenkins Civil Disobedience Gaza Protests Golden Gate 26 restitution hearing San Francisco