78 of the 80 individuals arrested in connection with a Gaza ceasefire protest that took place on the westbound Bay Bridge during APEC week last November are going to be serving five hours of community service in punishment for the disruption.

The 78 protesters accepted a pretrial diversion deal from a San Francisco Superior Court Judge on Thursday, and issued a statement claiming victory. As the SF Standard reports, they were also ordered to collectively pay $4,448 in restitution, or $57 apiece — though District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said that total restitution would be decided at a later date.

"This is a victory not only for those exercising their right to protest a genocide being fueled by their tax dollars, but for the growing global movement demanding freedom for the Palestinian people," said Aisha Nizar, one of the protesters, in a statement. "We emerge from this case even stronger and more united in our commitment to one another and to the people of Palestine."

A lawyer for the group, Jeff Wozniak, gave a statement to the Standard saying, "The Bay Bridge protesters are part of a long legacy of people of conscience who have used civil disobedience to bend the arc of history toward justice. We will continue to vigorously defend all people who take bold action to demand justice and bring an end to this genocide."

As you may recall, when they were first charged in December, there was a protest over the 80 protesters facing any prosecution at all. The 67 women and 13 men were all charged by Jenkins with false imprisonment, refusing to comply with a peace officer, unlawful public assembly, refusing to disperse and obstruction of street, sidewalk or other place open to public.

Jenkins issued a statement at the time saying, "While we must protect avenues for free speech, the exercise of free speech can not compromise public safety. The demonstration on the Bay Bridge that snarled traffic for hours had a tremendous impact on those who were stuck on the bridge and required tremendous public resources to resolve."

The protest took place on November 16, and involved dozens of vehicles that formed a barrier across the eastern span of the Bay Bridge, in the westbound lanes just before the Yerba Buena Tunnel. Protesters unfurled banners that said "Stop the Genocide" and "No US Military Aid to Israel."

The demonstration coincided with President Joe Biden's appearance at the APEC summit, and his private meeting on the Peninsula with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The protest itself only lasted a matter of minutes, but the subsequent process of arresting the protesters and clearing their vehicles ended up lasting four hours, during which time the bridge and its approach from Oakland were a virtual parking lot.

Charges against one of the 80 arrested were ultimately dropped, as the Standard explains, and one lone protester has chosen not to take the pretrial deal and go ahead to trial. That person is scheduled to be arraigned back in court on April 15.

Previously: At Least 200 Gather at SF Hall of Justice to Protest DA's Decision to Charge Bay Bridge Gaza Protesters