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Protesters linked with the Black Lives Matter movement chained themselves together on the busy San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on Monday, blocking rush-hour traffic bound for San Francisco.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day action was to protest police shootings, such as the December San Francisco police killing of Mario Woods, 26, who police said had threatened officers with a knife. Cellphone video appears to show Woods made no sudden movements toward cops.
Bridge traffic was stopped for about 30 minutes before California Highway Patrol officers partially reopened the five westbound lanes around 4:30 pm. Protesters hopped out of five cars, wrapped chains around their waists and connected themselves to vehicles. Traffic was backed up for miles.
Social media posts showed Highway Patrol officers taking people into custody. TV station KPIX said 40 to 45 protesters were arrested.
More than 1,000 demonstrators took to Bay Area streets on Monday, starting with a rally near city hall in Oakland, across the bridge from San Francisco. They fanned out across the region to sites that included a mall in nearby Emeryville, where a police last year killed a suspected shoplifter.
Black Seed and the Black Queer Liberation Council claimed responsibility for Monday’s protests. In addition to criticizing shootings by police, the groups called for investments in affordable housing and the resignation of Oakland Mayor LIbby Schaaf and the firing of San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr.
Traffic on the bridge remained heavy, even after it was reopened.
All lanes for 80 wb Bay Bridge are open. Expect residual delays
— CHP San Francisco (@CHPSanFrancisco) January 19, 2016
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