opBART3

Every monday.

UCM Student’s Charges Dropped

SAN FRANCISCO, California – Last week, UC Merced student Peter Howell had his charges dropped by the SF District Attorney’s office. Howell was charged with four rather serious and ludicrous charges for events leading to a police officer rashly pulling a gun out on protesting students during a UC Regent’s meeting last November. Read more about what was at the time a developing case here.

BART is delayed; Several Dozen Arrested

SAN FRANCISCO, California – On Monday, August 22nd, the second iteration of the Anonymous incited demonstrations began at the Civic Center BART station.

“As a few protesters began to gather, surrounded by dozens of riot police and media, a uniformed BART police officer told a young African American man he would be arrested if he raised his voice. Chanting began in response among the small pack of protesters, and the man was promptly arrested by BART police.

As he was being led off the platform by police, a woman who stood in the center of the platform began verbally engaging a BART officer, saying, “BART police need to be reformed. Make BART Safe. Make BART safe.” She was apparently arrested for nothing more then her words.” (read more)

The demonstration ended with 45 arrests and after two stations closed for several hours.

Anonymous targets BART

SAN FRANCISCO, California – Last week on Thursday, BART shut down cell phone access at their stations in San Francisco to deter social networking during a protest they expected to happen in response to the recent police killing of Charles Hill. The protest never materialized, never-the-less cellphone access was turned off. In response, folks from anonymous declared a campaign against the BART, #opBART, over the breach in civil liberties reminiscent of the Egyptian state’s termination of internet access during the uprisings in January. Since then, anonymous has hacked the myBART website, releasing this message and list of user accounts.

They also called for a demonstration for today, Monday, August 15th. The demo combined a criticism of the BART police and its recent police killings, alongside the cellphone shutdown. The demonstrators successfully shuttered four BART stations along Market st. for several hours and kept up chants of, “no justice, no peace. Disband the BART police!”, and “Cops! Pigs! Murderers!” Some also donned anonymous’ trademark ‘Guy Fawkes’ masks and chanted, “we do not forgive. We do not forget.”

See more on Indybay. Read the flyer here.

One flyer distributed during the demo.