(BCN) — A group of protesters are at the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco on Monday morning, calling for an end to attacks on Gaza. The protesters posted photos on social media shortly after 9 a.m., from inside the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest.
Police said late Monday morning that they will begin arresting protesters soon. About 70 protesters are inside the first floor of the building. Police said about 70 people were arrested.
The photos show protesters with banners that read “Zionism Kills” and “Committing a genocide makes Jews less safe; Not in my name!” Video posted on X shows protesters inside the building chanting “Long live the intifada!” San Francisco police released a short statement, saying “Officers arrived on scene and are currently handling a protest and possible trespassers who are related to the protest. At this time there are no arrests related to the protest.”
The consulate is located at 456 Montgomery St # 2100, in the city’s Financial District. Representatives of the consulate were not immediately available for comment.
According to SFMTA, the outbound 1 California bus will be rerouted due to the protest.
KRON4 reached out to the Israeli Consulate for comment and received the following statement from Consul General Marco Sermoneta:
“We are appalled, but not surprised, at the attempt by a handful of pro-Hamas rioters to violently compromise our ability to operate as a diplomatic mission. They will not succeed. The people who entered the lobby of the building where the Consulate is situated are the same people who have celebrated the rape, maiming, burning alive, and murder of hundreds of Israelis barely a day after October 7th. Since then, these mobs have been making campuses across the Bay Area inhospitable and even dangerous to Jews, and turning city council meetings into despicable spectacles of antisemitism and mass-atrocity denial. We thank SFPD for their rapid response and will continue to ensure that we provide all services as usual.”
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