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Currently three protesters are climbing the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge, attempting to hang up a sign on the bridge in protest over the Olympic torch run through San Francisco, which is scheduled to make its only U.S. run in San Francisco on Wednesday. Check out KPIX's live cam for what's going down right now. Yikes--be careful, protesters!
Update (1:38 p.m.) : The protesters scurried down the cables, were promptly arrested by CHP officers. Local media outlets have inundated our inbox with link requests, so: you got 'em. For interviews with the protesters, check out NBC 11 and KPIX.
Update (1 p.m.): Two military fighter jets (gray jets, not of the Blue Angel variety) just flew over the city, seen from outside SFist HQ. Practice for Wednesday's torch run? To "protect and serve"? Or...? (Jets arrived for the Giants opener, reports a commenter. [Please forgive our alarmism!] Thought only the Blue Angels did that? Strange.)
Update (12:34 p.m.): Our sister site, Shanghaiist, is live-blogging the Olympic torch protests happening right now in Paris, France.
Update (12:24 p.m.): Cars are backed up into the Sunset on Park Presidio and 19th Ave.
Update (12:10 p.m.): They still remain on the bridge. Before scaling the cables, it seems, the three managed to just...walk along the walkway and climb up the famed bride with relative ease and no security presence.
Oh, and the protesters hid their flags, banners harnesses, and other gear in a "baby buggy" before heading up the Golden Gate. Very clever.
Update (11:51 a.m.): More flags are being put up on the vertical cables. The three protesters--one man, two women--still remain. Newcasters are desperate to know "how this could have happened?"
If you don't have to go to the Golden Gate Bridge, don't. It's heavily congested. Obviously.
Update: (11:42): Nope, all three climbers are staying put. Those descending the suspension cables right now are just bridge workers. This will go on for a while.
KGO is reporting that seven people were arrested so far with regard to this protest.
Update (11:33 a.m.): One guy seems to be slowly descending the bridge. The other two don't seem to be moving. All three are reportedly expert rock climbers. (Hillary Clinton, by the way, just called for Bush to boycott the Olympic opening ceremonies.)
Update (11:30 a.m.): The Exploratorium's roof cam has live shots of the protest currently in progress.
Update (11:22 a.m.): Two messages unfurled: "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet '08" (same as yesterday's London sign) and " Free Tibet." A Tibetan flag has also been placed underneath the two large banners. Four helicopters are circling above the scene.
They're on the east side of the bridge -- the bay side. Traffic on bridge is hardly moving at all.
Update (11 a.m.): The three protesters, according to CBS 5, are still on the bridge. One is carrying a suitcase, they're all "tethered together," and one of the protesters has pulled out a "Tibetan flag." Students for a Free Tibet has claimed responsibility for the act. (Yesterday, four members of the activist group affixed a 74-foot sign on the Westminster Bridge in London that read, "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet 2008.")
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This town is ready to get its protest on! Scaling the cables two days early? What awaits us on Wednesday? Are they going to burn this mother down, Pookie?
It's also on the exploratorium roofcam.
http://cams.exploratorium.edu:8010/1/control.html
The camera is supposed to be interactive, where you can zoom in and out anywhere on the camera's range. But right now, it's stuck on the bridge where the banner is flying.
isn't the torch run on Wednesday?
I don't what they expected. It's going to be crazy for the next few days around here.
Wednesday is going to be crazy!
Im calling in sick(cough cough), I have to see this!
Usually the roof cam is supposed to be working. If someone is using it, you usually wait in line. But the damn thing is not working so great for the queuing system. Right now, it's pointed at the weather station.
Hmmm... maybe the communists are plugging-up the queuing.
I almost got arrested for walking across the bridge at night. I wonder what jail time these people are looking at.
NBC11 just interviewed one of the protesters who called in from his cell phone while suspended 700 feet up in the air on the bridge. CRAZY.
Who is Douchie McDouchebag, the talking head on NBC11? She just claimed that there are "so many head-on accidents on the GGB." When, bitch?
OMG! They used a BABYCARRIAGE to hide their evil tools! Who's gonna save the children?!?!?!??!
LONDON!
PARIS!
SAN FRANCISCO!
A baby carriage? Maybe they have shoplifting planned for later in the week.
it's a cavalcade of whimsy this week. Giants open today, election tomorrow, protests and torches wednesday...what else is up? a barrell of monkeys let loose on MUNI or something?
Tweety: LMAO
She is driving me insane right now. I am about ready to head down to NBC11 and wring that biatches little neck! Laura Garcia-Douchebag-Cannon is such a condescending cunt.
Watch CBS 5 instead!
/shameless plug
Dammit! Who are the idiots currently controlling the Exploratorium web cam? No one cares about people wind surfing in the Bay. Let's see the protesters!
(A few flickr pics when I was controlling the web cam are available here.)
You knew when Paris snuffed out the Olympic candle before finally calling it quits, that SF protesters would just take it as a challenge...
yay!
Looks like they're being cut down now maybe. Watching on the exploratorium web cam
This week should be very interesting...
I can't wait to see what laws are passed in the wake of this. Maybe the GGB should just be shut down permanently since it's such a hotbed of controversy. Or maybe a list of approved activities.
Just observed 2 F-16 fighter jets pass over the city. These were not Blue Angels. Related?
white people...
According to the SFGate, they came down and have been arrested.
Brock:
The jets flying over were probably for the Giants. It's their home opener today.
What did people think, that F-16s were going to fire missiles at the Golden Gate Bridge?!?
Ohh the poor poor Giants. There going to need more than F-16 fighter jets to help them win any games this season.
Does anyone in China have access to Shanghaiist? Or has it not been touched by the glorious invisible hand of the worker's paradise?
From ABC News:
"Sergeant Neville Gittens of the San Francisco Police Department declined to give specifics on the city's security measures for Wednesday, but told ABCNEWS.com" "...if individuals take part in acts of civil disobedience or other criminal acts, force will be taken against them. But at the same time, we will protect the First Amendment rights of all individuals attending the event".
hello, disconnect! SFPD hasn't even broken anyone's arm(s) yet and they're setting themselves up for a lawsuit.
Military jets often do flyovers for sports games, actually, even the "ordinary" grey kind. I promise you, they're not loaded with anything they could fire at the protesters. I know because I load them.
well, we didn't think they were going to fire at them...but more to the point: awesome job. how long does it take to load those things?
Anyone else remember when Woody Harrelson and Earth First! did this back in 1996?
What other groups have climbed the GG Bridge?
The torch route has been changed.
^^seems like that will only make things worse.
i found two interesting articles about tibet and the asian american point of view.
http://www.asianweek.com/2008/04/06/the-real-reason-for-the-tibet-protests/
http://www.asianweek.com/2008/04/06/an-asian-american-viewpoint-on-china-tibet-and-the-olympics/
Yes, the jets flew over AT&T Park as a part of the Home Opener today ... y'all missed a lovely Kenny G-ish saxophone rendition of the National Anthem and some fireworks that went along with the 2 fighter jets flying over.
...And y'all also missed the Giants get their asses beat on their way to a 100-loss season.
way better video on currentTV
http://current.com/items/88892507_tibet_protest_on_golden_gate_bridge
Thanks, Brock. Depending on the mission, usually about 45 minutes per jet, with a three-person team. Rough on the shoulders, but lots of fun...
next time i go to jail i expect FREE JAMETH banners from the GG bridge post-haste :( :(
You must live under a rock?
Update (1 p.m.): Two military fighter jets (gray jets, not of the Blue Angel variety) just flew over the city, seen from outside SFist HQ. Practice for Wednesday's torch run? To "protect and serve"? Or...? (Jets arrived for the Giants opener, reports a commenter. [Please forgive our alarmism!] Thought only the Blue Angels did that? Strange.)