Thousands of peaceful protestors marched today across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Marchers assembled on the San Francisco side before proceeding to cross the bridge's 1.7 mile span which connects San Francisco to Marin County.
The police presence was mellow. When protestors opted to move from only marching on the bridge's pedestrian sidewalks to spilling onto the roadway, they decided to breach police barricades. Police did not react with force, and allowed the protestors to stop traffic on the bridge for a short period of time, approximately thirty minutes.
The marchers I interviewed stated that drivers whose cars were temporarily delayed by the march were supportive of the protest. They further recounted that motorists cheered and chanted along with protestors, and honked in enthusiastic solidarity.
Numerous driving protests were also organized yesterday and today throughout the nearby Richmond District, with groups averaging twenty to thirty cars, all bearing placards supporting Black Lives Matter . The federal Presidio National Park Police were stationed on the scenic drive along Lincoln Boulevard during the protest, with numerous police cars and various emergency vehicles standing by in case of need. Despite the police presence in the Presidio and on the bridge itself, there was no visible tension and the protests proceeded without confrontation between marchers and local authorities.
The San Francisco Coronavirus Text Alert System calmly announced that a "Civic Demonstration" was affecting Highway 101, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Presidio and Van Ness, and that traffic delays were to be expected. The march began at noon today and had dispersed for the most part by 3:00 pm this afternoon.
Marchers assemble pre-demonstration with San Francisco skyline at back left