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// DOSSIER — pro-palestinian-protesters-sentenced-golden-gate-bridge-blockade
Seven Pro-Palestinian Protesters Sentenced for 2024 Golden Gate Bridge Blockade
REL_TIME: 25 Aug 2026 10:42Z · LANG: EN
Seven pro-Palestinian activists were sentenced by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Teresa Caffese to 30 days in county jail and six months of probation for stopping traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge during an April 15, 2024 demonstration against U.S. support for Israel's actions in Gaza. The defendants were convicted in July 2026 of multiple misdemeanor charges, including false imprisonment, unlawful assembly, and obstruction of a thoroughfare. Prosecutors officially dismissed the deadlocked felony conspiracy charges—which carried a maximum sentence of up to 15 years—citing resource constraints and existing accountability. The defendants plan to appeal their convictions and will remain free while the appeal proceeds.
// Background
On April 15, 2024, pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge for roughly four hours as part of nationwide economic disruptions targeting U.S. support for Israel. While law enforcement initially arrested over two dozen demonstrators, 19 had their charges diverted or dismissed. Seven defendants—Bhavika Anandpura, Juliette River Allen, Sara Cantor, Rocky Chau, Conrad de Jesus, Sarah Ferrell, and Em Tillotson—went to trial facing felony conspiracy and misdemeanor charges. In July 2026, a jury convicted them on 43 misdemeanor counts but deadlocked on the felony conspiracy charge.
// Key Developments
- Seven activists were sentenced to 30 days in jail, six months probation, and ordered to pay over $1,000 in fines and restitution.
- The San Francisco District Attorney's Office dismissed deadlocked felony conspiracy and misdemeanor trespassing charges instead of seeking a retrial.
- Defendants can serve half of their 30-day term through a Sheriff's work release program, with sentence execution stayed pending appeal.
- The original demonstration shut down southbound lanes on the Golden Gate Bridge for approximately four hours on Tax Day in 2024.
// Timeline
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Protesters block traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge for four hours during a Tax Day demonstration against U.S. support for Israel.
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A San Francisco jury convicts seven protesters on misdemeanor counts but deadlocks on felony conspiracy charges.
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Judge Teresa Caffese sentences the seven defendants to 30 days in jail and probation; prosecutors dismiss all deadlocked felony charges.
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Scheduled court date for the next appeal hearing regarding the convictions.
// Perspectives
[San Francisco District Attorney's Office]
Maintained that while First Amendment rights are protected, blocking vital public infrastructure created significant public safety hazards and warranted criminal accountability.
[Defense Attorneys and Activists]
Argued the protest was a necessary act of civil disobedience to stop U.S. funding of violence in Gaza after official channels failed, criticizing the felony charges as politically motivated overcharging.
[Superior Court Judge Teresa Caffese]
Emphasized that civil disobedience inherently carries legal consequences, clarifying that the defendants were sentenced for violating the law rather than for their political beliefs.
// Quotes
“Throughout history, civil disobedience has mostly involved accepting legal consequences. In that spirit, those who blocked the bridge and disrupted the lives of hundreds of commuters should be treated respectfully, but should also be prepared to accept the consequences of their actions.”
“I continue to encourage civil discourse and the exercise of our rights under the First Amendment, but this serves as a reminder that when such acts become unlawful and compromise public safety, there will have to be consequences.”
“People missed doctors' appointments, nurses were missing from their jobs, children were forced to defecate in bags, people had little to no water... Because these seven individuals decided that their cause, their message, was more important.”
“We have never seen a felony conspiracy charge for a protest. There is no rationale besides a political motivation.”
