URGENT: Jury Refuses to convict Golden Gate Bridge Protestors on Felony Conspiracy

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA — July 2nd, 2026 — In a victory, a San Francisco jury refused to convict all seven defendants on felony conspiracy and misdemeanor trespassing. However, defendants were found guilty on several misdemeanor charges: four counts of false imprisonment and one count each of obstruction of a thoroughfare and unlawful assembly. Defendant Sara Cantor was additionally found guilty on one misdemeanor count of refusing to disperse at a riot.

The jury was tasked with deciding whether the state had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the protestors were guilty of the 57 charges brought against them. These charges are reduced from the original 1,144 charges filed in August 2024. The other charges were dismissed at various points over the course of two-plus years of court proceedings.

Testimony and evidence at trial revealed that protesters had brought water and snacks for the people who were stuck in traffic and had emergency plans in place. Some of the motorists were able to turn around and take different routes. Cantor, the police liaison, asked authorities to open an additional lane of traffic, a routine operation they refused to consider. A Golden Gate Bridge Authority representative testified that it would have been possible to move the central barrier to do so.

“These courageous protesters were taking a stand against unyielding state violence and the illegal U.S. funding of atrocities in Gaza, and the government responded by trying to intimidate and imprison them,” said San Francisco Deputy Public Defenders Anthony Gedeon and Nuha Abusamra, who represented two of the protesters on trial. “Despite a history of protest on the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and California Highway Patrol took the unprecedented step of using social media to solicit people to come forward to seek restitution. The District Attorney then pursued egregious felony criminal charges that the jury hung on. While we are disappointed that the jury returned misdemeanor convictions, today's verdict reflects that jurors were not persuaded that the evidence supported the extraordinary felony charges the prosecution chose to bring.”

“We know that the U.S. is deeply invested in Zionism in order to maintain military and economic control around the world. People standing in solidarity with Palestine threatens that objective. The fight for the liberation of Palestine continues and we are in solidarity with all attempts to end US involvement in the occupation. We urge everyone to participate in the Oakland Arms Embargo campaign at armsembargonow.com.” - Statement from the Defendants

● A senior staff attorney from Palestine Legal is available to provide insights into legal questions around the prosecution of the GG26. Please reach out to media@palestinelegal.org for queries.
● Photo documentation of the April 15, 2024 protest is available here with individual folders named after the respective photojournalists to be credited.
● To learn more about the prosecution of the GG26, case timeline, trial summaries and existing press coverage, please check out the supporter-run website

(www.goldengatedefendants.com) and instagram account (@gg26solidarity)