"Codepink 10" Arrested New Year's Day Request Apology, Charges Dropped

[StrictlyRockers]

More good info in the article about what happened at the Golden Gate Bridge protest last week, too.

http://newsblaze.com/story/20070106114645nnnn.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html

"Codepink 10" Arrested New Year's Day Request Apology, Charges Dropped

SAN FRANCISCO - CODEPINK today said it is asking the CHP to drop the charges, apologize to those arrested, and to acknowledge the public's right to walk across the bridge after 10 CODEPINKers were arrested on New Year's Day at the Golden Gate Bridge as part of a vigil for the 3,000 US servicemen and women killed in Iraq and for the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have died since the US invasion and occupation.

Supervisors Jake McGoldrick and Tom Ammiano, San Francisco Supervisors who sit on the Golden Gate Bridge Commission, spoke on Channel 7 news January 2nd, saying that the officers may have overreacted. The two Supervisors have authored a resolution for the Board of Supervisors requesting all charges be dropped.

CODEPINK issued this statement:
"California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers blocked the pedestrian walkway on the San Francisco side of the bridge, saying we did not have a permit for a demonstration. We responded that we were not demonstrating but only wanted to walk peacefully across the bridge to commemorate the 3,000 deaths. Initially the CHP allowed tourists to pass through our group and begin their walk on the bridge. We complained that this was our bridge and we could not be denied access. The CHP then stopped all walkers and bicyclists from entering the span.

"After two hours, CHP announced that the bridge was closed to pedestrians - that it was private property, and the owners had closed it - and we had to leave, which we did not do. Ten of us were then arrested for trespassing. This action by law enforcement resulted in unfortunate delays and inconvenience, both to pedestrians and bicyclists who were prevented from crossing the bridge, and to motorists due to a lane closure to accommodate law enforcement vehicles.

http://www.codepink4peace.org/

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

Goddess, how I love CODEPINK! They rock and rock and rock!

'Risking arrest and paying fines are sacrifices that I along with thousand of others are willing to face as long as the injustices committed by our government continue. This sacrifice is small in comparison to the sacrifice of our men and women serving in the military and innocent civilians that have lost their own lives or have lost family members.'

Wow, how true!

Medea Benjamin for President!

SR

[Peace Patriot]

1. Thank you, Medea, and all the walkers for the fallen! And CodePink!

And thanks also to San Francisco Supervisors Jake McGoldrick and Tom Ammiano for knowing what government is for!

-------------

Yesterday, Faux News warned that we were in for 100 hours of turning America into San Francisco!

What they don't seem to understand is that San Francisco is the most American city of all--where tolerance abides, where freedom is real and not a demagogic word for killing, where beauty abounds, and where the population was way ahead of the 70% of Americans who want this war ended, and where local citizens have generated protest after protest to stop this war.

San Francisco is the red, white and blue now! It is the leader of the way to peace and to recovery of our democracy!

[az chela]

2. We can never thank Medea and code pink enough for all

they have done!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bless each and everyone of you for giving us a voice and for all the great things you have done.
Keep safe

[nosmokes]

3. so if the bridge is *private* property, why is the CHP enforcing the rules?

how bogus is this? i'd say it's bogosity rises to the pinkth degree. sheesh.
GO PINK!!

[StrictlyRockers]

5. That "provate property" line bugged the funk out of me, too.

But there is something technical about the GG Bridge being it's own entity and not linked in with CalTrans somehow. They are really having it both ways here. Bogosity to the max. The CHP is one of the worst law enforcement agencies in the state. They suck!

SR

[Garbo 2004]

9. The Golden Gate Bridge is owned by public agency.

From their site:

IS THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT A PUBLIC AGENCY?

Yes. The "Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District Act" was enacted by the California State Legislature on May 25, 1923. The enabling legislation gave counties the right to organize as a bridge district and borrow money, issue bonds, construct a bridge and collect tolls. On December 4, 1928, the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District was formed as the entity to design, construct and finance the Golden Gate Bridge. The District consists of San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Del Norte and parts of Mendocino and Napa counties. On November 10, 1969, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 584 authorizing the District to develop a transportation facility plan for implementing a mass transportation program in the Golden Gate Corridor. This was to include any and all forms of transit, including ferry. At that time, the word "Transportation" was added to the District name.

http://goldengatebridge.org/research/facts.php#GGBPublicAgency

[shance]

4. Do these women rock or what???

True definition of American Patriots!

[Tesha]

6. You just *KNOW* how this is going to play out...

You just *KNOW* how this is going to play out...

A sensible prosecutor will realize that the charges are totally
bogus and will drop the charges. An apology may or may not
be issued, but everyone on the official side will hope it goes
away as quietly and inexpensively as possible.

It happens almost every time our rights are trampled but
someone is willing to actually stand up and say: "My rights
can't be abridged, even for Bush's war."

Tesha

[John Q. Citizen]

7. Long live the people! Use 'em or lose 'em!

[Vidar]

8. Cheering for CodePink.