By Annie Vainshtein, Michael BarbaUpdated June 3, 2024 (SFChronicle.com)

San Francisco police officers respond to a demonstration at the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest, where a group of protesters were decrying the ongoing war in Gaza.Michael Barba/The Chronicle

San Francisco police officers began arresting protesters who entered and occupied the lobby of the Consulate General of Israel in San Francisco’s Financial District on Monday. 

Protesters were being led out of the building with their hands bound by zip ties just after noon. Demonstrators said they occupied the consulate’s lobby to protest the war in Gaza. 

San Francisco police Lt. Jesse Cruz estimated about 70 people were inside the building on the ground floor in total. 

Police began arresting protesters after warning them they would be arrested if they did not leave the building. Protesters told the Chronicle they planned to stay until they were “forcibly” removed. 

Inside, a number of them chanted, “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israeli’s slaughter.” They also taped signs reading statements such as “Anti-Zionism is not Anti-Semitism” to the glass doors of the consulate.

Spokespersons for the consulate said that they were thankful to law enforcement for its rapid response and that the organization would “continue to ensure that we will provide all services as usual.”

Sara, a San Francisco resident who declined to give her last name who served as a spokesperson for the group, called the protesters a diverse group of Jewish and other anti-Zionists. She added that efforts Monday morning were in part to pressure House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, whom, she claimed, had not been “vocal” about calling for a cease-fire and an end of “all aid to Israel.”

“While we regret the inconvenience to people who are here for the Colombian (consulate), these kind of devastating and catastrophic times of genocide require strong action,” Sara said. The Colombian consulate is housed in the same building as the Israeli consulate. 

Napa resident Rene Estevez told the Chronicle he and his sister-in-law had gotten to the building at 9 a.m. in hopes of filling out paperwork needed to resolve a property dispute in Colombia, but were unable to do so because of the protest; they were told the consulate would not be seeing people on Monday.

Reach Annie Vainshtein: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Reach Michael Barba: michael.barba@sfchronicle.com

June 3, 2024|Updated June 3, 2024 12:09 p.m.

Annie Vainshtein

REPORTER

Annie is a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. She previously was a digital producer for The Chronicle’s Datebook section. She graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2017 with a degree in journalism. During her time there, she spearheaded a culture column, produced radio pieces for NPR-affiliate station KCBX, and was a DJ and writer for KCPR, the campus radio station. Before joining the Chronicle, she was an associate producer at SFGATE and interned at VICE and Flood Magazine. She’s particularly interested in communities and scenes that are often misunderstood.

Michael Barba

REPORTER

Michael Barba is a reporter covering government accountability and public safety for the Chronicle. He has covered San Francisco since 2015, first as a staff writer for the San Francisco Examiner and later as a senior reporter for the San Francisco Standard. During his time at the Standard, Barba’s reporting led to criminal charges against a building inspector who inspected his own home. He also revealed that Mayor London Breed secretly directed her appointees to sign undated resignation letters, spurring a new law barring the practice. In 2022, Barba was honored by the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists with its Journalist of the Year award. He is a Los Angeles native and a graduate of San Francisco State University

Source: https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/consulate-general-of-israel-san-francisco-protest-19492829.php?utm_content=cta&sid=53b8a5219dbcd4db6500018b&ss=P&st_rid=null&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=headlines&utm_campaign=sfc_morningfix