SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A caravan of protesters trying to raise the awareness of a showdown in India between farmers and the government clogged up traffic on the busy San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Saturday afternoon.
Posts on social media show the protesters, traveling in a car caravan from around the region, demanding support for Indian farmers who are on strike.
READ MORE: Gov. Newsom Signs Executive Order to Halt Pandemic Evictions Through June“We stand with farmers” signs displayed on cars during a car caravan on the bay bridge. Peaceful yet slow going on the upper deck if you need to get somewhere …. like work! #kpix5 pic.twitter.com/alPE0HjEO3
— Juliette Goodrich (@JulietteKPIX) December 5, 2020
The California Kisaan Solidarity Car & Truck Rally #FarmerProtest was headed to the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, according to social media posts.
At 5:30 p.m. San Francisco officials sent out an alert saying — “A Civic Demonstration was affecting traffic flows on I-80 Westbound Bay Bridge. Traffic impacts are RESOLVING. Expect residual delays and use alternate routes.”
Protesting farmers rejected the Indian government’s offer this weekend to hold immediate talks if they ended their blockade of key highways they’ve held as they seek the scrapping of legislation they say could devastate crop prices.
The thousands of farmers will continue camping out on highways in Punjab and Haryana states until three new agriculture laws are withdrawn, Jaskaran Singh, a leader of the Kisan Union, or Farmers’ Union, told reporters.
The farmers say the laws could cause the government to stop buying grain at guaranteed prices and result in their exploitation by corporations that would buy their crops cheaply.
The California Highway Patrol warned drivers Saturday afternoon to expect backups on the bridge heading into the city.
It’s going down on the bay bridge pic.twitter.com/t4Jz20xfHx
— Chris (@OGCulcasi) December 5, 2020
Just passed a HUGE car/truck rally on the bay bridge held by Sikh activists in solidarity with farmers in India against new agriculture laws that attack small farmers and I literally started crying by how beautiful the amount of flags I saw waving and the scale of it all wow
— Michael Yagoobian (@VampyreSleaze) December 5, 2020
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Support for India Farmers going down on SF Bay Bridge #ModiHatesFarmers pic.twitter.com/YE0Rzw4SVy
— Paul Kavanaugh (@homerj007) December 5, 2020
Demonstrations are causing massive traffic backups on the Bay Bridge heading into San Francisco. Honking everywhere. pic.twitter.com/oUTmlZxdXV
— Genny Aversano (@gennyaversano) December 5, 2020
We happened to be on the Bay Bridge when the whole thing came to a standstill with what seems like the entire Norcal Punjabi farming community out in force to protest the Indian farm bill. pic.twitter.com/w7FR1ulRg4
— Kingshuk Das (@kingshukdas) December 5, 2020
It’s going down on the bay bridge pic.twitter.com/t4Jz20xfHx
— Chris (@OGCulcasi) December 5, 2020
Found the sign again #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/cLIzUvFVJF
— Chris (@OGCulcasi) December 5, 2020
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