SF Police Find Cache Of Molotov Cocktails

San Francisco arson investigators removed 12 Molotov-type cocktails on Friday from a backpack discovered by a groundskeeper cleaning up debris left by anti-war protesters in a downtown alley way.

The investigators carefully removed the homemade devices -- consisting of old liquor bottles filled with gasoline and having a wick -- and fingerprinted them. Police said the site where the devices were found was an area near 11th and Howard that had been traversed several times by a rather violent group demonstrators during Thursday's protests.

Police said they had obtained a security videotape showing two men throwing the backpack into bushes in the alley. They have given officers on the street photos of the two men and are hopeful they will be found in the crowds of protesters gathering on San Francisco's streets Friday night.

San Francisco police spokesman Dewayne Tully said officers had also discovered collection of rags, lighter fluid, and "other materials to make incendiary objects with" in front of the Four Seasons Hotel.

"What we suspect is that protesters were carrying these objects, knew they would be arrested at some point, and ditched them," he said.

Officials from the federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the San Francisco Police Department's Arson Task Force were investigating the findings.

Meanwhile, raucous bands of demonstrators marched through San the city's streets Friday in the largest of many anti-war protests around the country. Smaller groups also demonstrated in support of U.S. troops.

"We will sustain this for many days. This is really just the start," said Jamie Hurlbut, a San Francisco office worker who was blocking downtown traffic as the sun came up Friday after spending eight hours in custody Thursday.

"I literally went to sleep and came back out to hit the streets again," he said.

But police, who kept a tight rein on the moving masses, said they learned a lesson after demonstrations grew out of control leading to 1,600 arrests on Thursday.

"They think they can do this indefinitely. Not anymore," Tully said.

San Francisco police -- bolstered by 450 California Highway Patrol officers determined to keep bridges and major arteries open -- arrested more than 200 people by early afternoon Friday, citing and releasing most of them.

Late Friday evening, police cordoned off at least 200 people and arrested everyone, including some who said they were on their way somewhere else and go caught up in the crowd.

One officer was injured in a confrontation Friday evening with protesters and taken to a hospital for observation, he said.

About a thousand protesters chanted "The bombs are dropping, stop the shopping," during an after-work gathering in the touristy shopping district at the intersection of Powell and Market Streets.

Taia Lubitz, 23, of Berkley, said police were more aggressive Friday than during protests a day earlier.

"They were bad. They were hitting us with clubs," Lubitz said.

From a morning die-in outside the federal building in Sacramento that resulted in 30 arrests to an attempt in Capitola to block entrance to a military recruiting center that ended in about a dozen arrests, actions ranging from tearful candlelight vigils to chaotic occupations of streets continued in earnest on Friday.

In Rohnert Park, Sonoma State University staff, faculty and students held a first day of spring rally while in Irvine, high school students were organizing a candelight vigil.

At the same time, pro-military activists also turned out to spread their support for the troops from Bakersfield to Berkeley.

"The people who scream the loudest are a fringe minority," said Rob McFadden, a senior politics student at UC Berkeley who passed out yellow ribbons in support of U.S. soliders. "But the fact is they're not the majority and most people support this action."

In West Los Angeles, five people waved American flags in front of the French consulate to protest that country's opposition to the war. They held signs saying "What is France hiding?" and shouted at passing cars: "Boycott France" and "Support our troops."

Larger anti-war demonstrations and vigils were scheduled for Saturday in San Francisco and Los Angeles, while in Long Beach the Surfrider Foundation was coordinating the formation of a giant peace sign consisting of 400 surfboards. In Palo Alto, a multifaith prayers of lament meeting was planned by the First Presbyterian Church.

On Friday, San Francisco continued to be the focal point for anti-war activism.

Before the morning fog had even burned off, police in San Francisco had already arrested more than 80 demonstrators, following a chaotic Thursday when police conceded they completely lost control of the crowds despite arresting about 1,400 people -- including 18 on felony charges.

By Friday morning, police said almost everyone had been released from custody but that they had learned their lesson, and would be bolstered by 450 California Highway Patrol officers determined to keep bridges and major arteries open.

"They think they can do this indefinitely. Not anymore," said police spokesman Dwayne Tully, who said the department had already spent $450,000 containing the protests.

Demonstrators said the change was palpable as police kept the crowd contained and moved in quickly to make arrests.

"Today feels more tense," said Deborah Cooper who brought her son, Casey, 11, with her. "I'm sure the cops are tired and they've gotten a lot of grief."

In downtown Los Angeles on Friday, 27 people were arrested for blocking the street in front of the federal building.

As demonstrators cheered, police in faceshields took away protesters one by one after they had linked arms and sat down in the street.

One of those arrested was Vanessa Acosta, 45, of Highland Park. She knelt in the street and prayed the rosary. She held a sign saying "Peace is the first casualty in war."

She held her hands together in prayer as she was led away.

"I want to give a little bit of myself ... the people in Iraq don't know who I am but at least I know that I'm with them," she said.

And in Sacramento, U.S. marshals arrested about 30 protesters who were blocking the entrances to the federal building.

"I believe we have an illegal government that stole the election, is robbing the treasury and is waging a war against a country that can't resist," said Murray Cohen, 65, before police took him away.