Last week’s MLK, Jr. Day and #BlackLivesMatter protest, where dozens of Stanford University students shut down California’s San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and draped a huge Palestinian flag across the freeway, was anything but peaceful.
In addition to blocking traffic for two hours, the anti-Israel protesters caused several car crashes, which resulted in injuries and blocked emergency vehicles from getting to their destinations, according to Legal Insurrection, citing local news reports
In several instances, the drivers were forced to drive on the wrong side of the bridge in order to escape the crippling jam caused by the protesters.
“One officer reported handling at least four collisions that resulted in minor injuries or property damages,” said Officer Daniel Hill of the California Highway Patrol, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In one incident, a Honda Accord was reportedly so badly damaged after it became sandwiched between two cars during the protest that the driver of the vehicle abandoned it.
Over 100 protesters participated in what was dubbed as the “#SiliconShutdown.” The activists said they were protesting against alleged police brutality and oppression, as a total of 68 people–the majority of which were Stanford students–were arrested for the chaos they caused.
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