APEC in S.F.: Massive traffic backup as Bay Bridge blocked by protesters; no estimated reopening time

[PufPuf23]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Another busy day is planned at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in downtown San Francisco, with Open AI CEO Sam Altman, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk scheduled to speak at the CEO summit. Also happening today is the APEC Annual Ministerial Meeting Leaders' Plenary.

Even before the westbound Bay Bridge was blocked by protesters at the height of the Thursday commute, Mayor London Breed warned that traffic would get snarled across San Francisco as motorcades pass through the city. And the Warriors play the Thunder in San Francisco tonight, so if you’re attending, here’s how to get to Chase Center. There will also be street closures around the Legion of Honor starting around noon.

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Latest updates:

All protesters arrested, NBC reports
NBC reports that all protesters have been arrested and officers are working to clear their vehicles.

Read more: https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/apec-san-francisco-closures-traffic-protests-18494935.php

[The Mouth]

1. Fuck them

Man I hate assholes who block traffic. The last time it was called for was during the Civil Rights struggle.

[JohnSJ]

2. I hope they arrest them for this. Commute is always a hassle, and they sure won't

endear anyone to their cause

[PufPuf23]

9. Latest updates, more on arrests.

Latest updates:

Latest scene on the bridge
The scene at 10:30 a.m.: Police had ziptied the hands of at least 16 protesters. They are gathered, sitting against a concrete wall as police wait for more transport. Two San Francisco Sheriff's buses with protesters have already driven off. There are more than 100 police officers on the bridge, many in riot gear. A tow truck is hauling away vehicles that protesters had abandoned. Cars are still trickling through on the shoulder and two lanes are being prepared to re-open to get stuck vehicles off the bridge, but they are still not opened yet.

Police working to open up two more lanes
In addition to the shoulder, two more lanes of the Bay Bridge are being reopened, though they are not open yet.

CHP “going to press all charges we can”
The California Highway Patrol says it is “going to press all the charges it can” against the protesters who blocked the Bay Bridge. At least 50 protesters have been arrested, a spokesman said, and another 15-20 arrests are likely.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/apec-san-francisco-closures-traffic-protests-18494935.php

[JohnSJ]

15. It is reported on the local channels here. Thanks

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. I've never understood why some think blocking traffic helps their cause

One would think it would have quite the opposite effect.

[maxsolomon]

7. Because the protest can't be ignored.

It's become a template for lefty protests. Block the gates, block entries, block highway traffic, sit in a tree. It's a force multiplier - a small number of protestors have an outsized impact.

There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part! You can't even passively take part! And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels ... upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!

-Marco Savio, 1964

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. But it doesn't win sympathy

It just creates the illusion in the protestors' mind that they're doing something.

Most people who are stalled have no power to make a difference.

[maxsolomon]

12. Nope, but it's SOP at this point.

It gets people killed, too.

[riversedge]

4. Bay Bridge protest blocks all westbound trafficarrests taking place....

Link to tweet

?s=20


https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/bay-bridge-protest-blocks-all-westbound-traffic/


Bay Bridge protest blocks all westbound traffic

by: Ryan Mense

Posted: Nov 16, 2023 / 08:56 AM PST

Updated: Nov 16, 2023 / 10:17 AM PST
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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Protesters blocked all lanes of westbound Interstate 80 traffic on the Bay Bridge during the Thursday morning commute. The protesters stopped their cars on the bridge, east of Treasure Island Road, and threw their keys into the Bay before chaining themselves together and to the bridge, according to California Highway Patrol.
APEC updates: Protesters block Bay Bridge, Biden calls Xi ‘dictator’

Around 50 to 60 protesters on the bridge were arrested and processed by responding CHP officers before being led to awaiting buses, according to KRON4’s Will Tran. Approximately 250 officers are on scene, according to CHP.

As of 10 a.m., a far-right lane of westbound traffic reopened on the Bay Bridge for motorists already on the bridge. Drivers who were backed up before the toll plaza were being guided by CHP to turn around back into Oakland. There is no estimated time for when all lanes will reopen across the Bay Bridge.

During a news conference, the CHP said that protesters abandoned their vehicles on the Bay Bridge and threw the keys into the Bay. Fifteen vehicles have been towed from the bridge as of 9:45 a.m., and the CHP estimates another 5 to 15 more vehicles will need to be towed.........................

[Sal_NV]

5. Will someone please explain to me how this helps their cause?

Why would they piss off the very people they're trying to influence.
This doesn't seem like a winning strategy to me.

[IronLionZion]

6. I'm not sure the road blocking is accomplishing anything for their cause

[IronLionZion]

8. It's all different groups of protestors with lots of different causes

Gaza ceasefire, Anti-Marcos in Philippines, labor rights, human rights abuses in China, climate change, Anti-Thuong in Vietnam, Myanmar civil war, and more.

So it's not very organized or unified at all.

For Gaza, not sure any of the Asian countries have any influence over the situation.

[progree]

11. Pro-Palestine protesters block all westbound lanes of San Francisco Bay Bridge - ABC News

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218459748     Thanks BlueCheeseAgain

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Protesters on the eastern span of the Bay Bridge have blocked all westbound lanes Thursday morning.

No cars are currently able to get into San Francisco. Westbound lanes of the bridge can be seen empty as traffic backs up.

Images show six cars blocking the lanes as the protesters call for a cease-fire in the Middle East.

Protesters were lying down with white sheets over their bodies that say "Stop the genocide."

[dalton99a]

13. Goddamn selfish assholes.

[ripcord]

14. Why would I support anyone who goes out of their way to purposely piss me off?

[LauraInLA]

16. I wonder if the city/transit/police were surprised that this is happening. EOM

[PufPuf23]

17. APEC in San Francisco: Bay Bridge traffic finally clears, six hours after protest began

Per 2:15 PM Report

Bay Bridge traffic clears hours after protest
For the first time since protesters shut down the Bay Bridge at 7:41 a.m., traffic is flowing freely through its approaches, through the toll plaza and across the bridge. The protest blocked all four open traffic lanes for nearly four hours, sending commuters who hoped to drive into San Francisco to the Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo bridges, which both backed up.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/apec-san-francisco-closures-traffic-protests-18494935.php