The Battle of San Francisco

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday March 21, 2003 15:51 by Cian

Continues in one hour...

Day X

FRIDAY 3/21: We Need to Keep Our Voices in the Streets!
7AM - Assemble at Justin Herman Plaza
5PM - Protest at Powell and Market in SF

•SATURDAY 3/22: Noon - Meet at SF Civic Center for march and rally.

Listen to Enemy Combatant Radio for Breaking News
MIDNIGHT: Jail solidarity at 850 Bryant. Also protest reconvergence at 7th & Market.

3/20 Activists Shutdown San Francisco - Breaking News:
Legal update: Bail felony hearings will take place Friday 3/21 at 11:30am at Hall of Injustice. As of 12:00AM 800 people are still in jail. It is reported all are at 850 Bryant except for a small group of women being held at Pier 27 and 6 minors at Mission station #9. David Solnit is out of jail.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18
Video: 1 | 2 | 3
Channel 7 Newscaster: "As you can see, this is going to be a long evening." - Also, a KTVU corporate reporter was pied today.
11:30PM: 600 People marching through the Haight.
10:15PM: Still 500 people marching strong. Pro-war protester confrontation reported at O'Farrell.
10:00PM: 500 marching down Howard. March is festive showing no signs of slowing down.
9:41PM: march of 1500 heading down 8th street from Market toward the highway
9:13PM: Crowd near 5th & Market. Large numbers of police assembled at intersection.
8:00PM: 6000 strong at Castro & Market Streets - unsuspecting onlooker assaulted by police on the sidewalk.
6:47PM: Fulsom at Essex and Fremont Street on ramps are shut down by demonstrators. Market Street b/t 4th and 6th Streets are shut down as well.
6:34PM: Howard & Fremont Streets - Crowd estimate now at 5000. Police motorcycles are reportedly zooming into the crowd. Traffic on the Bay Bridge is backed up completely.
6:09PM: Upwards of 6000 people running down 2nd Street towards Folsom
3:57PM: 4000 people are headed towards 7th & Mission to rescue some people that have been stuck there. Police seemed amazed by the militancy and stamina of the protesters. There are reports that those being arrested are being cited and released.
3:39PM: Thousands of people that were stuck at federal building are now roaming the streets freely. Situation getting rough for police at 6th & Market. There are reports of head injuries to a few people. There is a sit-in happening at Post & Market with a couple hundred people - no arrests yet. Arrested people are being taken to either 850 Bryant or Pier 27. It is reported that minors are being taken to Mission Station. In Berkeley, a few dozen people are being arrested.
1:47PM: Reports of approximately 500 cops at 7th & Market. They have only arrested a few people, they seem to be taking it slow. Cops have confiscated people's "gear" and have piled it up in middle of street. Cops are beating people with billy clubs.
1:38PM: 200 Black Bloc surrounded at 7th & Market about to get arrested. We are hearing reports of people trying to break into the federal building, there is a window broken.
1:30PM: Crowd is getting rowdy at 7th & Market. One cop down.
1:16PM: 2000 strong march is headed towards financial district, with Black Bloc in the lead. Fire hydrant opened at Market & 8th.
12:46PM: Black Bloc forming at Polk & Grove
12:42PM: Appears to be a mass arrest happening soon at 7th & Market. Police are pushing people down Market towards Civic Center. Protesters are still at Market & Kearny and Market & Montgomery. There is a large police presence at Federal Building. Police have rubber bullets and pepper spray loaded - 90 police and hundreds of protesters.
11:39AM: Fruitvale BART closed due to protests in Oakland.
11:35AM: 1500 people heading west on Market, crowd is growing.
11:31AM: People are being beat at 4th & Market
11:25AM: SFPD beating heads at federal buildingand at 4th and market .
11:00 AM: SFPD beating at 3rd and Market 1st and howard blocked. 20+ CHP on far side of bryant. 25 cars trapped betwween. Post and grant people are pushing cars into the street. 1500 people leaving fremont and howard and headed towards first to sit down.
10:35AM: BB at 4th and Mission 1st and howard blocked. 2+ CHP on far side of bryant. 25 cars trapped betwween. Post and Grant people are pushing cars into the street. Montgomery and Market-hundres of people, cops moving in to arrest them
9:50AM: 1000 at Mission & 1st headed towards Market to meet about 1000 people that have taken over Market & Montgomery and have formed a liberated zone.
9:42AM: 600 People at Fremont & Howard. 30 CHP are on the scene.
9:15AM: Haight and Buchannan. Traffic blocked up as far as eye can see.
8:55AM: Barricades at Stockton and Grant. Channel 2 says “If you don’t have to be downtown, don’t go.” and "As soon as protesters are arrested, more sit down. This looks like it will go on all day" and we have a BIG mess commuting" Woo-hoo!!!!! It's working.
8:55AM: Twenty people locked down at Transamerica Bldg. Market and Davis blocked- 100 people. People are trying to get to the Federal Bldg.
8:50AM: Police say half force on street. Officers normally undercover reported to be out in riot gear. Protests taking place “all over the city”. Police say at least 15 intersections blocked. “Worst traffic jams ever.” Report that at Montgomery and Clay police filling barricades with water to prevent cars from driving into the building. Gay Shame is holding Gough and Market- 200 people
8:41AM: A Jaguar just tried to run over some protesters at Montgomery and Clay. Pigs setting up water hoses .
8:30AM: Lockdown on Van Ness near Market. People locked to big cement blocks. Police are sawing people out. At Pine and people are blocking street with newspaper racks. At Oak and Gough intersection blocked by people with pink flags. Third and Market blocked by about twenty people, no cops there yet.
8AM: Arrests beginning.500 people (police say 300)blocking Market at Sansome. Cop violence reported outside UK consulate and outside Bechtel
7:55AM: Intersections being blocked 3rd and Folsom, 5th And Mission, Mission and Van Ness, Fell and Franklin (arrests about to happen), Fell and Van Ness, Bush and Powell, Market and Sansome, Recruiting Station at Davis St., Bechtel at Market and Beal, Harrison and Fremont freeway ramp (300 people)
7AM: Dozens of actions are planned in SF's Financial District which vow to shut down the city. Thousands will plan to "call in sick" when the war starts to help disrupt capitalism from steamrolling on. action plans and targets
9 AM: March from Hunter's Point to downtown.