Protesters Briefly Shut Down San Mateo Bridge

Protesters succeeded in briefly shutting down the San Mateo Bridge late Monday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol, causing a massive traffic backup. At least a dozen demonstrators were detained.

Palo Alto Weekly is reporting the demonstrators were part of a "Reclaim MLK" rally and were made up of "more than 100 Stanford University students and community members."

"Hordes of protesters blocked the westbound side of the bridge for 28 minutes to symbolize the fact that every 28 hours a black person is killed by a police officer or vigilante, organizers said," the paper reported.

Video from KRON 4 earlier this evening:

Earlier posts

Update, 5:30 p.m.:

Original post

From 511.org:

Westbound CA-92 is blocked at the High Rise on the San Mateo bridge due to a demonstration. Motorists are advised to expect delays and to avoid the area. There is no estimated time for re-opening the roadway.

From NBC Bay Area:

CHP said about two dozen protesters got onto the bridge and blocked both directions around the mid-span. Officials said the eastbound lanes have reopened, but westbound lanes remained closed due to the protest.

From the Chronicle:

A group of people describing themselves as Stanford students blocked westbound traffic on the San Mateo Bridge minutes before 5 p.m. on Monday.

Television footage showed officers making arrests soon after the students, carrying banners and a Palestinian flag, took to the bridge. Protesters said they hoped to shut down traffic for 28 minutes.

You can watch live at ABC 7 News.

Check 511.org for the latest information.

Meanwhile, in Oakland, several planned protests occurred on Monday, according to the city's police department. In one especially big demonstration, about 1,500 people marched from Fruitvale BART Station to the Coliseum BART Station in a largely peaceful event, police said.

The Coliseum BART Station and airport connector were briefly closed, thwarting the departure of some fans after the Warriors basketball game.