WASHINGTON — Seven protesters who blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in a 2024 pro-Palestinian protest against Israel’s war in Gaza have been sentenced to 30 days, with credit for time already served.

They were convicted in July of misdemeanor charges by a San Francisco jury that remained deadlocked on the more serious charge of felony conspiracy.

Defense attorneys said demonstrators acted out of a sense of moral responsibility to oppose the devastation from Israeli strikes on Gaza, and Washington’s support for its ally.

The protest came amid the height of the war, as heavy Israeli strikes were being carried out daily and thousands of Palestinians had already been killed. It also came as more than 100 Israeli hostages were still being held by terror groups in the Strip, after being kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attacks that sparked the war.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the protest caused a safety risk for those stuck in traffic and there should be consequences when laws are broken.

“Throughout history, civil disobedience has mostly involved accepting legal consequences,” Superior Court Judge Teresa Caffese was quoted as saying........

© The Times of Israel