San Francisco -- on Memorial Day Weekend 34 people were arrested as police violently attacked a peaceful, legally permitted, anti-imperialist march of hundreds of people at the Golden Gate bridge. The people, in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against u.s.-backed Israeli aggression and opposing U.$. military attacks around the world, were most of the way across the bridge on the walkway, when dozens of cops blocked the path and insisted the protesters turn back. The cops blocked traffic on the bridge and began arresting and beating people, even as the crowd turned back towards the San Francisco side of the bridge. They continued to push and beat the crowd all the way back, claiming that the protesters were not walking fast enough, and arrests continued even after demonstrators were off the bridge and standing in a picnic area near. One 10 year old Palestinian girl was attacked by police as she stood near the parking lot, brutally thrown to the ground, and arrested. While other protesters were released on misdemeanor charges, she was charged with felony assault on an officer and held in juvenile hall.

The demonstration, organized by the All Peoples Coalition to Stop U.S. Terror and Occupation, was originally planned to allow for a peaceful march across the bridge along with the opportunity for civil disobedience by anyone interested. March organizers attempted to obtain all necessary permits to ensure that the event be legal for those who did not wish to be arrested.

The organizers negotiated with bridge authorities for weeks prior to the rally only to be denied permission both to assemble and to march. These last minute decisions by the bridge authority added confusion to the organizing efforts. The authorities allowed the pre-march rally to be held at Crissy Field (a supposedly public park), in a specially designated "First Amendment" area (well away from any public walkways or roads), with no stage or sound system, only 4 bullhorns (used only for crowd control), no chanting, and without large banners. The bridge authorities also denied organizers access to the supposedly public Golden Gate bridge after noon, forcing them to change the time of the protest. And access before noon was only given with the restriction that everyone be off the bridge by 2pm and no one hold any anti-war signs on the bridge.

The rally in Crissy field included several anti-imperialist speeches by march organizers, chanting (in spite of this being designated as illegal behavior by the police), and many people making shirts to wear across the bridge instead of carrying signs. MIM brought copies of some RAIL anti-imperialist posters on 11x17 and 8 1/2 x 11 paper which we provided to people to tape on their shirts. The posters with messages such as "Fighting Imperialist is not Terrorism" and "Imperialism: the majority of the world's people can't live with it, you can't live without it" were very popular with the crowd.

When the marchers reached the entrance to the pedestrian walkway at the Golden Gate Bridge they were greeted by police who insisted on searching bags and making people leave behind signs and banners. One MIM member was turned back for carrying a paper bag with some posters inside a backpack. Either leave these behind or don't get on the bridge, was the message. Others were told to leave behind Palestinian flags and signs they were carrying. MIM noted several cars go by flying Amerikan flags without incident. And pedestrians are permitted to wave amerikan flags on the walkway on a daily basis.

On the bridge marchers chanted with fists in the air, keeping within the walkway while trying to make the anti-war message clear to passers by. Flanked by police, with a CHP helicopter hovering overhead, fully armed national guards along the sides of the water, police boats at sea and what looked like snipers in the hills, the marchers were certainly not a threat to anyone, but were quite threatened by the militarized protectors of imperialism who clearly understood the danger in a strong anti-imperialist movement and message.

The Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco with Marin County, a wealthy area with many nature preserves that are popular destinations for weekend hikes and picnics. Just before reaching the Marin side of the bridge, where the marchers intended to turn around and walk back, they were greeted with a wall of cops in riot gear. The cops insisted that the march could go no further and must turn back. Quickly more cops in riot gear appeared and the police blocked off the entire road headed to Marin, bringing traffic to a stop. Ironically it was the original hope of the organizers to stop traffic on the bridge. But it turned out to be the police who caused the hours of backed up cars, not the marchers.

Predictably, the mainstream media message was that people were way too hassled by this anti-war protest. In fact, during the march, most reactions from passing cars were supportive, but once the cops blocked the bridge to make way for the paddy wagons drivers showed their true side as they screamed obscenities at protestors who were rushing to safety after the crackdown. Channel 5 had an interview with one woman in a car stuck in traffic who said "Sure I'm anti-war, but I'm 9 months pregnant and I need to pee." Her message was clear: I can only oppose brutality and oppression when it is convenient. No doubt the wealthy Marin residents, along with the picnicking San Franciscans, were annoyed by the traffic problems.

Before police interference foot traffic flowed freely with tourists passing by the march unimpaired. However, as the cops began their advance on the crowd one tourist family was caught on the front line with terrified children as pigs in riot gear refused anyone who tried to pass. That the problems were caused by the cops, not the protesters, was not explained by the mainstream media who generally played up the traffic snarl as the news angle, clearly blaming it on the protesters. One notable exception was the San Francisco Chronicle which provided a relatively unbiased coverage of the march, even noting the violence by police which targeted not only protesters but also media who were shoved while filming the brutality. One Indymedia reporter was arrested while filming.

After the cops stopped the march from going further, one organizer approached the police to explain that it was not only our first amendment right to continue along the path but it was also a right protected by the permit they had secured. As a verbal argument ensued the organizer with the permit in hand was seized and arrested. The cops insisted that the marchers turn back and several people sat down in protest. They were arrested as well and the cops started walking forward pushing the rest of the crowd back along the walkway, some fully strapped with rubber bullet canisters and shotguns in hand. They were beating anyone who didn't move fast enough, using pepper spray on the crowd, and pushing people so that some fell to the ground.

The cops were arresting those who fell to the ground and anyone else they could grab, slamming heads and bodies to the concrete. This group was shackled in plastic cuffs, which tighten with time, and put on a bus and driven to a nearby parking lot. Many begged to have the cuffs loosened, complaining of pain in the wrists and shoulders as the bus sat there for an unexplained 3 hours. Finally the group was bused up to San Rafael in Marin County, cited for obstructing the sidewalk, and released in the middle of nowhere to find their way back to the city. In total 27 people were arrested on the bridge.

Meanwhile, the police continued to "escort" the remaining marchers off the bridge. The crowd arrived in two groups and the first group was told to wait in a picnic area next to a snack bar just off the bridge "to ensure your safety." One woman asked the cops if the marchers were in danger and they responded that the marchers would be if they didn't wait for an "escort." When the second half of the marchers arrived the cops in riot gear immediately formed a line and again started pushing the marchers back. The marchers were in a parking lot and picnic area that is part of the park, not even threatening traffic. They would have said a few words and dispersed, but again the cops created an incident, pushing the crowd and arresting people who fell. One woman tripped as she was being pushed forward and was immediately grabbed by several cops and arrested.

When the crowd reached the parking lot where many of them had left their cars everyone stopped. The police held their line but stopped pushing forward. A 10-year-old Palestinian girl, who had been militantly chanting with her sisters and brother throughout the march, was suddenly grabbed by police, thrown to the ground, held face down with her hand tied for about 5 minutes, and then taken away in a police car.

After kidnapping this young girl, the CHP cops left and only the park police remained. They told the crowd that they had to return to the originally designated "First Amendment Area" in the park. When the crowd made it clear they were not leaving without the young girl who was arrested the head park cop radioed to find out what happened to her. He reported back that he was told they had not arrested any 10-year-old girls. After the crowd expressed their outrage at that answer he said he would work with the girl's family to find her. A little while later her family was told that the girl would be released and her older brother drove to the police station to pick her up. When he arrived he was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment, and his sister was transferred to SF Child Protective Services.

Those arrested on the bridge were cited with a misdemeanor offense of obstructing the sidewalk and released later in the evening with a court date in a month. An older white womyn who blatantly struck a pig after being pushed, hit with a baton and yelled at was among the mostly white crowd charged with a misdemeanor. The only two Palestinians arrested, of a handful in attendance, were charged with felonies. The small 10-year-old girl allegedly attacked a line of police in riot gear, yet she was the one limping after being taken into custody.

It is clear that a message opposing imperialist wars is considered a serious threat to Amerika when it is taken to a symbol of Amerika like the Golden Gate Bridge. This is contrasted with the Gay Shame protest held later in the day in the Castro area of San Francsico which gave "awards" to capitalist corporations and individuals who have done the most to harm queer rights. This protest, with a crowd about the same size as the anti-war mobilization at the bridge, moved from the sidewalk to take over the street. Eventually a few cops came by and tried to negotiate the people out of the street before giving up and letting the event continue. Many people at the latter event were waving signs that said "Queers Against Capitalism" but it is the connection to imperialist aggression abroad that is truly threatening.

Even after restricting our so-called right to free speech by taking the protesters signs and banners, the cops felt it necessary to further repress the rally by moving in with force with no legal justification. Our relative freedoms in the United $tates were clear when most of the protestors arrested were released that evening and no one sustained any life-threatening injuries compared to repression faced in Palestine. Yet there is a limit to our freedoms, we are not allowed to truly challenge the system. Any threat to the status quo will be met with force and repression. And that is why we know that a just and equal world will never come to be with out the use of force in the hands of the revolutionary movement.