Seven Golden Gate Protesters Convicted on 6 Misdemeanors as Jury Deadlocks on 15-Year Felony
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 2
Seven Golden Gate Protesters Convicted on 6 Misdemeanors as Jury Deadlocks on 15-Year Felony
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 2
Summary
Seven protesters who shut down Golden Gate Bridge traffic during an April 2024 pro-Palestinian demonstration were convicted on six misdemeanor counts each; Sara Cantor was also found guilty of refusing to disperse.
Seven days of jury deliberations ended without a verdict on felony conspiracy or misdemeanor trespassing, leaving unclear whether prosecutors will retry the deadlocked charges.
Aug. 21 sentencing is set, with six defendants facing up to five years in county jail and Cantor up to five and a half years.
Prosecutors said the four-hour blockade trapped motorists and created safety risks, while defense lawyers argued the action was civil disobedience aimed at opposing Israeli strikes on Gaza and U.S. aid to Israel.
The case became a Bay Area flashpoint after 19 of the 26 arrested protesters had charges dropped or deferred and critics said the remaining seven were singled out unusually aggressively.