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Photos:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19
Legal Updates:  1 | 2 | 3 | 3/23: Charges against 7 dropped
At 2PM, over 500 people gathered at Polk and Grove for a breakaway march from the mornings massive anti-war demonstration. Hundreds of police flanked the march as it left Civic Center and moved towards the financial district. As the crowd ran onto Market St., around 25 people in the center of the crowd got surrounded by the police near 5th St. before being told that if they didnt clear the street they would be "subject to being hit with police battons". Among those trapped by the police was Brian Avery, an ISM actvist who was shot in the head in Israel (4/12/2003) by the defense forces there. As the crowd chanted for the release of those who were surrounded, a few protesters taunted an officer with a stick resulting in the police charging and hitting the entire crowd on the sidewalk. While one protester managed to break free from police custody, the police slowly arrested most of those who were surrounded, putting them into police vans and a police bus. While this was going on, much of the crowd moved up a side street to get away. Even after everyone had moved onto the sidewalk, the police moved in and hit several people with battons. About an hour later as the crowd dwindled and the marchers were returning on the sidewalk to Market St, a police motorcycle was knocked over and as the police charged the crowd, several protesters and an Indybay videographer were tackled and arrested by the police.
Later Saturday night, there was a jail solidarity protest at 850 Bryant Street. Police formed a barrier around the protesters demanding the release of the estimated 80 prisoners inside. Police also continued their strategy of targetted harassment by picking protesters with masks out of the solidarity vigil in front, detaining and photographing them "under the Patriot Act," including a NLG legal observer. At least one person was arrested at the jail. One protester who was targetted and plucked out of the crowd was held on a $26,000 bond. The NLG/Legal Team has documented 99 arrests total for Friday 3/19 and Saturday 3/20, but there may still be people who have not yet contacted the legal office. Everyone is out of jail. There were 3 confirmed injuries- 2 broken arms and 1 broken thumb. Two people are being charged with felonies.
Full breaking news coverage from SF March 20th Antiwar protest