From: porch_monkeys@gemail.com   
      
   XPost: alt.politics.obama, sac.general, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh   
   XPost: alt.homosexuality   
      
   SAN FRANCISCO -- Commuters were recovering their hearing and   
   BART was reopening stations Friday morning after spoon-clanging   
   protesters swarmed three stations in downtown San Francisco.   
      
   As of 9:30 a.m. BART's Powell Street, Embarcadero and Montgomery   
   stationswere open, BART officials said.   
      
   About 200 protesters gathered at 7 a.m. at the BART Montgomery   
   station in San Francisco, banging metal spoons on train cars and   
   poles, and later moved to the Embarcadero and Powell Street   
   stations.   
      
   Two people were arrested during the protest for interfereing   
   with rail transit, according to BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost,   
   one male for kicking a train window and a female for blocking   
   train car door. No injuries were reported.   
      
   When the protest began, BART announced that trains would not be   
   stopping at the Montgomery station and later closed the   
   Embarcadero and Powells stations when the protesters showed up   
   there as well. Based on the presence of protesters at any given   
   station, BART fluctuated its service the three stations.   
      
   George Cammarota, 63, of San Jose, said he got to the Montgomery   
   station at 6:30 a.m. "I'm here to support the movement. To stand   
   up to police violence. To let people know black lives matter."   
      
   However, some commuters opposed the protest. James Pounders, 59,   
   of San Franicisco's Tenderloin neighborhood said, "We should   
   protest, but we should do so legally. It's illegal to stop   
   trains."   
      
   Pounders held a sign that read, "There are consequences when you   
   break the law. Respect the law". He said one protester booed   
   him. Someone else thanked him.   
      
   Organizers said they want to draw attention to penalties sought   
   against protesters who shut down BART service in Oakland in   
   November.   
      
   Protesters want charges dismissed against 14 people who blocked   
   train doors on Black Friday in November, shutting down Transbay   
   service for three hours. The 14 were arrested on one misdemeanor   
   charge each after chaining themselves to a train at the West   
   Oakland BART station.   
      
   The protest was one of many in the Bay Area after grand juries   
   in Missouri and New York declined to indict police officers in   
   the deaths of unarmed black men. Protesters and their supporters   
   heavily criticized BART officials after it was reported that   
   they could be asked to pay up to $5,000 each as restitution for   
   the November transit shutdown.   
      
   A Facebook page for the protest that was up earlier this week   
   demanded that all charges be dropped against the November   
   protesters, that the BART police force be disbanded and that   
   discounted BART tickets be offered to low-income riders.   
      
   On Thursday the page was temporarily removed but the protest   
   continued to be advertised on other social media including   
   Twitter.   
      
   Rebecca Parr contributed to this report. Contact Natalie Neysa   
   Alund at 510-293-2469.   
      
   Comments:   
      
   Gina Genochio • 3 hours ago   
   Protest 'police brutality' by banging SPOONS on ... BART cars??   
   How militantly yuppie ....   
   2  • Reply•Share ›   
      
   Avatar   
   blastedcomputer  Gina Genochio • 2 hours ago   
   I think a counter protest against 'spoon abuse' would be most   
   apropos. Who will join me?   
   1  • Reply•Share › Show 1 new reply   
      
   Avatar   
   Wally Wilson • 3 hours ago   
   Why do we want to bring BART to San Jose? Much easier to   
   drive...use the money and improve the highways and parking   
   structures. One less thing to worry about.   
   1  • Reply•Share ›   
      
   Avatar   
   RevrndWilly  Wally Wilson • 2 hours ago   
   oh come on Wally. these hippies aren't gonna go all the way to   
   the end of the line way out there in Hooterville to bang spoons.   
   How much trouble would it cause to shut down the Berryessa   
   station that no one is gonna use anyway?   
    • Reply•Share ›   
      
   Avatar   
   almundayy58 • 3 hours ago   
   what did this group prove??? when you stop BART like that how   
   many people were late to work, school, appointments....I was   
   just amazed what this protest is about...UGH....I wonder how   
   many of these people were paid protestors....their energy could   
   be better used to protest and/or improve the quality of life for   
   the unemployed, homeless, hungry....   
   4  • Reply•Share ›   
      
   Avatar   
   Anita Ho • 3 hours ago   
   What a bunch of pathetic losers...   
      
   http://www.mercurynews.com/spotlight/ci_27333150/bart-commuters-   
   brace-protest-at-sf-montgomery-station?source=top_stories_bar   
      
       
      
   --- SoupGate/W32 v1.03   
    * Origin: LiveWire BBS -=*=- UseNet FTN Gateway (1:2320/1)