Defendants testify about GG Bridge shutdown for Gaza war protest
GG Bridge protestors against Gaza war, testify in felony case (Photo credit: Laurie Moorhead)
Seven people who were part of a group known as the "Golden Gate 26" that blocked the Golden Gate Bridge traffic on April 15, 2024 for some four hours, are facing felony charges and began testifying for the defense on Friday. (Photo credit: Laurie Moorhead)
SAN FRANCISCO - The trial of seven protestors who took part in the 2024 Golden Gate Bridge partial shutdown protesting the Gaza war, continued on Friday with two defendants taking the stand in San Francisco court. Judge Teresa Caffese was presiding in the 400 McAllister building, Dept. 602 courtroom.
A crowd of supporters filled the room, as Conrad de Jesus and Sara Cantor testified for the defense.
They are part of a group that has been called the "Golden Gate 26" who staged the protest on the morning of April 15, 2024, as part of a global day of action opposing the United States' support for Israel in the Gaza war and the deaths of Palestinian civilians.
Charges against the other protestors have ended in plea deals or charges being dismissed.
Defense witnesses' testimony
The seven defendants on trial are facing felony conspiracy charges and misdemeanors.
De Jesus, who friends say is an architect and activist, was asked by the prosecutor about his past involvement in protests for animal rights and another 2024 protest at Lockheed Martin. He said he had not been part of planning the 2024 Golden Gate Bridge protest and said he would have joined another anti-war protest that day, if he hadn't been invited at the last minute to the Golden Gate Bridge action.
"Conrad is an incredible person. He is deeply dedicated to fighting for liberation on many fronts. He has a deep love for his community, for the environment...for people of the world," said Jordan Harger, another protestor whose charges are being dismissed.
De Jesus testified that he had protested because he and other protestors felt frustrated that the Gaza anti-war message was not being heard.
"He had tried so many other avenues. He had called his congresswoman. He'd written letters. He'd been to an Oakland City Council meeting. He'd marched in rallies, but the government wasn't listening to the voice of the people," Raye Kahn, another protestor whose case is being dismissed, said.
De Jesus said he and others believed they were able to carry out the protest under a "necessity principle" defense, because their actions were done with the intent to save human lives.
In court, the Assistant District Attorney Angela Roze asked De Jesus about whether he could have left earlier, and why he stayed so long.
Asst. DA: "Did you believe you had a right to be on that bridge...?"
De Jesus: "When I saw animals could be saved, why couldn't humans be saved?"
From left to right: Rocky Chau, Sarah Ferell, Conrad de Jesus, Sara Cantor, Em Tillotson, Bhavika Anandpura, and River Allen.
DA's office: protest threat to public safety, economy
Prosecutors say the protest went too far, and that no matter the message, blocking the bridge was illegal and could have put commuters who were stuck on the bridge at risk.
The second defendant to testify was Sara Cantor, a 37-year-old paralegal who said, as a Jewish-American, she felt she had to speak out against Israel's military action against civilians.
Cantor said she was the protest's police liaison and that demonstrators had agreed to stop the protest if emergency vehicles needed to pass, because they didn't want to cause harm.
Roze said there was an economic impact as well.
Asst. DA: "Were you aware the Golden Gate Bridge is a business?"
Cantor: "No, I thought it was like the Bay Bridge and other bridges."
"The Golden Gate Bridge has been blocked in acts of civil disobedience for decades now. None of them have been charged to this extent," Manan Kocher, who is among the protestors whose charges are being dismissed, said.
The jury is not scheduled to convene on Monday, so the defense will continue calling witnesses on Tuesday, June 2, with other defendants expected to take the stand.
The seven people facing felony charges are Rocky Chau, Sarah Ferell, Conrad de Jesus, Sara Cantor, Em Tillotson, Bhavika Anandpura, and River Allen.
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