Pro-Palestinian protesters, arrested April 15 in San Francisco after blocking the Golden Gate Bridge, were released Tuesday as an investigation into the incident continues, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
The clock ran out for officials who were unable to finish investigating the case before a 4 p.m. deadline April 16, allowing 26 protesters to be released while the district attorney decides which charges to pursue.
The California Highway Patrol, with the help of several local law enforcement agencies, arrested the protesters who blocked the Golden Gate Bridge starting just before 8 a.m. Monday.
The unlawful bridge closure shut down traffic and trapped hundreds of people, Ms. Jenkins said in a news release Tuesday.
The defendants were booked into custody on multiple misdemeanor charges and a single felony charge of conspiracy, according to the district attorney. The felony charge required the defendants to remain in custody.
The tight afternoon deadline did not give the CHP enough time to complete their investigation into those arrested and to gather all the evidence required for the district attorney’s office to decide about charges for each person, according to Ms. Jenkins.
“Although we tried to complete this work in the limited time available, the investigation must continue at this time,” she added in the news release.
When the investigation is completed, the district attorney said she plans to file appropriate charges.
Meanwhile, if any of the defendants are rearrested before the charges are filed, those new charges will be added, Ms. Jenkins said.
She encouraged anyone delayed on the bridge during the protest, which lasted about three hours, to contact the CHP and vowed not to “bow to political pressure” regarding prosecution of the case.
Gov. Gavin Newsom agreed.
Monday’s protest was part of a worldwide movement to cripple the economy in support of a cease-fire in Gaza.
