Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists shut down the westbound traffic of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on Thursday morning, calling for a cease-fire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The protesters, organized by the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), chained themselves together on the bridge’s eastern span near Treasure Island around 8 a.m., disrupting the morning commute for thousands of drivers.
The AROC said on Twitter that the action was meant to “expose the genocide happening in Gaza” and to pressure President Joe Biden, who was in San Francisco for the APEC Summit, to take a stronger stance in support of the Palestinians.
“We are here to say that Biden must end all US aid to Israel, and that the US must stop being complicit in the war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing against the Palestinian people,” the AROC tweeted.
The group also demanded that the US and other world leaders intervene to stop the war in Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed and thousands more injured since the fighting erupted on Nov. 4.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said it was working to clear the protesters from the bridge and to restore the traffic flow as soon as possible. However, the CHP did not give an estimated time of reopening the lanes.
The CHP advised drivers to avoid the bridge and use alternative routes or public transportation.
