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â– Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked Golden Gate Bridge traffic.
â– No injuries or arrests were reported from the protest.
â– The protest was against Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, Gaza.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators temporarily obstructed traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge on Wednesday morning. The protest, which began around 7:45 a.m., resulted in the closure of all northbound and southbound lanes at the bridge’s midpoint, as reported by the California Highway Patrol. By 8:30 a.m., both lanes had been reopened.
CHP Lt. Erik Egide stated that officers arrived shortly after the protest began and dispersed the crowd. He also mentioned reports of potential altercations between motorists and some protesters, but did not provide further details. No injuries were reported, and no arrests were made.
“It’s a crime to stop traffic,” Egide said.
Images shared by a KQED reporter showed protesters holding banners with messages such as “Stop arming Israel” and “Hands off Rafah.” The latter is a reference to the Palestinian city in Gaza that was recently targeted by Israeli airstrikes. The operation, according to Israel, was aimed at freeing two hostages held by Hamas.
The health ministry in Gaza reported that the strikes resulted in at least 67 deaths in Rafah. Over a million people have fled the city due to the Israeli bombardments that followed an attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7. Israel has announced plans for a ground assault into Rafah to eliminate Hamas forces. However, U.S. President Joe Biden has advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against proceeding unless civilian protection can be guaranteed.
Read more at San Francisco Chronicle.