Police took 10 war protesters into custody Monday at the Golden Gate Bridge after a three-hour standoff that backed up New Year’s Day traffic and frayed tempers of tourists and bicyclists hoping for a jaunt across the span.

The confrontation began at noon when about a dozen members of the women’s peace organization CodePink prepared to walk across the bridge as a vigil to remember the 3,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq.
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“We didn’t do anything illegal, nor did we plan to do anything illegal,” she said after she was released from custody. Benjamin said she and nine others have been charged with trespassing, although Highway Patrol officials wouldn’t confirm the arrests.

Before she was taken into custody, Benjamin said that the group planned a “solemn march,” single-file, across the bridge, with no intention of disrupting tourists or traffic. They planned to meet another small group of protesters crossing from the Vista Point parking area on the north end of the bridge. (Read more…)

According to the protesters, they planned to march single file and not disrupt traffic—does this explicitly mean they intended to do so on the foot bridge? If so, then should have been no problem… and if not, then they should have been arrested briskly.

The cops claim they were concerned about what would happen during the protest—does this explicitly mean that they were concerned the protesters would end up in traffic or some other real danger? If so, then what was their reasoning and if it was good, then it should have been no problem.

For this to have e/devolved into a 3 hour fucking mess on 1 of three arteries to/from the city is criminal, and someone should have their nuts cut off.

I’m sick of protesters in San Francisco bleating to the choir. A huge majority probably agree with your sentiments (and not your sorry method of communication)… and messes like this just bad in the press and damage your cause and diminish your message. Go drive people to polling places in Ohio next time, or something else that will actually have a positive effect—and won’t simply get you branded as a nutjob hippy waster.

I’m sick of the cops overreacting to anything war/terror/protest related. The strategists and management need to use their fucking brains and take simple precautions. If the occasional protester manages to get run over, falls off a bridge or whatever, then St. Darwin is hard at work. Sweep up the mess and keep traffic moving. The police are their to protect, not judge, and not waste my goddamn time through bureaucracy, ass covering, and general idiocy.

Some of us—who disagree with the war and hate using a car—are trying to visit their ill grandmothers in the north bay and don’t need any of your hysterical bullshit.

That is all.