One protester reported that a large number of the demonstrators were anti-Zionist Jews.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
San Francisco police arrested 69 anti-Israel protesters after they occupied a building housing the Israeli consulate on Monday.
Law enforcement forcibly removed protesters, fastened their arms with zip-ties, and moved them into vans.
The protesters, who were demonstrating against Israel’s operations in Gaza, occupied the lobby of the building for several hours.
When police arrived on the scene, they first encouraged them to leave the building of their own free will and then began detaining them.
The demonstrators arrived at 9 am on Monday but didn’t manage to get inside the Israeli consulate. However, some people had to change their appointments because of the obstruction created by the protesters.
While inside, they began chanting, “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israeli’s slaughter,” and taped up signs saying, “Anti-Zionism Isn’t Antisemitism.”
Sara, a San Francisco resident, said that many of the demonstrators were anti-Zionist Jews, and they aimed to pressure House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi to be more vocal in pressuring a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to “all aid to Israel.”
Sara told the San Francisco Chronicle, “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.”
The building also houses the Columbian consulate, and she did not apologize for the inconvenience caused to those visiting the Israeli consulate.
With anti-Israel protests erupting all over the United States, California has seen some of the most extreme incidents.
In one report, anti-Israel activity among University of California faculty has risen tenfold since October 7th.
Many UC Professors are involved in the Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP) and have used their classrooms to indoctrinate students into becoming anti-Zionist while alienating and defaming Jewish students as “privileged” and “genocide deniers,” according to the study.
In mid-May, it took police four hours to clear the UC of Irvine encampment of violent protesters by making dozens of arrests.