Illegal immigrants and their 'allies' shut down Golden Gate Bridge, blocking AM rush-hour traffic in protest for path to citizenship

Illegal immigrant families and their "allies" shut down San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, blocking traffic during Thursday morning rush hour in protest for a path to citizenship, KGO-TV reported.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

What are the details?

The station said California Highway Patrol officers were called just before 7 a.m. that several cars were driving very slowly across the bridge — and soon the calls indicated about a dozen cars were stopped on the bridge.

Protest organizers told KGO about 40 "undocumented families and allies" blocked the bridge's northbound lanes — and planned to do so for 20 minutes to represent what they call 20 years of lawmakers' broken promises on this issue.

Organizers specifically called out President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the station said.

Protesters Shut Down Golden Gate Bridge, Call on Democrats to Support Undocumented Immigrantsyoutu.be

"Immigrants deserve a path to citizenship now, and we can't wait another 20, 30 years," organizer Luis Angel Reyes Savalza told the station.

'This is completely on the CHP'

Savalza said authorities actually extended the length of the protest.

"We held the bridge for 20 minutes. We were ready to clear traffic. But the CHP prevented undocumented families from clearing the traffic," he added to KGO. "This is completely on the CHP who decided to blockade the protestors and prevented us from leaving."

Savalza said authorities' actions increased the protest time about an hour — but CHP is blaming the protesters who didn't leave when they were ordered to, the station said.

KGO said officials had to detain protesters and then move off the bridge, after which five of them were arrested.

Image source: KGO-TV video screenshot

"Yes, people have the right to protest but not when it comes to roadways and freeways," CHP Officer Andrew Barclay told the station. "This is a very dangerous place to be, especially when you get people out of their vehicles."

KGO said the group is angry that immigration reform isn't part of the budget reconciliation bill.

"This is the only way we are going to be heard. We have done everything. We have followed the rules. No one is listening to us," Brenda Zendejas told the station before being led away in handcuffs.