UPDATE: The above image gallery from Appeal contributor Jonathan Moore shows, among other things, a 71 Minutes of Silence action in which protesters were urged to “stop for one second of silence for each us service member who lost his or her life in iraq, one second times 4259 lives. one second is a very small thing in exchange for a life. the lives add up”
UPDATE: Looks like we’re back to business as usual, folks. Market is reopened and surface Muni is starting to route back onto Market. If you were experiencing F Market withdrawal, your wait is over.
UPDATE: More on the arrests: we’re told that of the arrested protesters, 5 were veterans with Veterans Against the War, 6 were, far as we know, unaffiliated.
UPDATE: Our sources on the scene tell us 8th and Market remains blocked, with police making at least 5 arrests and TV news folks adding to the fray. Folks we know who are on Muni say Muni Metro (that’s the underground) is crowded but running OK, so it’s still your best bet out of downtown.
UPDATE: From Muni: As of 4:50 p.m., Muni bus and streetcar service is blocked between 7th and 8th on Market. Buses are using Mission Street to get around the blocked area and the F (those are the streetcars) are just SOL. Take the underground home if you can, kids.
UPDATE: So many protests, so little time…for the second time today, the multitude of protests confounded the socially conscious, as twitter users conflated what looks to be a very small protest at Rockridge BART for Oscar Grant (dissed again?) and a Civic Center-based “small, but in the way” (according to one source) protest in San Francisco. CBS5 is streaming video of the latter here.
UPDATE: Curbed SF is reporting “Looks like street blockage at Market and 7th. The U-turn is your friend.”
Well, we’re nearing the end of today’s schedule of protests, and we’re told the Platoon soundtrack we’re hearing is for the 5 PM Iraq protest at Civic Center. More as we hear it, let us know what you’re seeing, too, please.
UPDATE: The Chronicle reports that SFPD arrested Daniel Ellsberg and 13 others, and that traffic has returned “to normal.”
UPDATE: Muni Diaries lets us know that they have reports that protesters are blocking Market Street Muni. Muni metro’s the way to go if you want to avoid delays.
UPDATE:
OK, now the war protesters are in the street Cops lining up. It will get more exciting soon.
Anyone else downtown who is watching/participating in the protests? Let us know what’s going on.
UPDATE: From the field:
Both protests are growing. Bank one is standard union type with extra people, with marching, bull horns, and chanting. A giant bailout check is being displayed.
UPDATE: We have a man on the street for the noon rallies downtown, he reports:
Telemundo, Channel 7, Other TV crews at Montgomery BART. At least 22 cops in front of B of A on Market and New Montgomery. Daniel Ellsberg is talking to a small crowd (80 people with lots of flags). There seems to be some confusion about which protest this is supposed to be — people are trying to figure out if this is a war spending rally, or the anti-Wells Fargo one.
UPDATE: There’s more to protest than the war — see our updated schedule below. Did we miss any? Let us know.
The next few days will feature several civil actions to recognize the 6th anniversary of the war in Iraq. Here’s what’s on the books for the city, today:
9 AM, Glen Part BART: Activist group Eyes Wide Open lays out t 50 pair of boots to represent Bay Area veterans who have died in the war. Anticipated disruption: minimal, mainly because it’s shoes.
12 noon, Montgomery BART: Poetry reading. Anticipated disruption: depends on the poem, but probably not much.
12 noon-1, Federal Building at Golden Gate and Larkin: From the comments: The weekly Quaker-led peace vigil is also holding a sixth anniversary commemoration. No chants, no marching, just witness.
12 noon-1:30, 420 Montgomery to 555 California: The SEIU is organizing “Bay Area Workers” (as workers ourselves, we’re hurt at not being invited) to rally/march from Wells Fargo Bank to AIG. Anticipated disruption: We could see FiDi traffic being a disaster.
5 PM, Civic Center: Iraq Veterans Against War demonstration. Anticipated disruption: could be significant.
All day, BART stations: “Different groups are planning actions at individual BART stations; actions can include street theater, music, leafleting, projection of images; tabling etc.” Anticipated disruption: we’ll need to know more about this “street theater” before we make an assessment.
