San Francisco police evacuated Union Square, one of the busiest pedestrian and tourist sites in the city, to check on a suspicious object discovered at midday.
The Police Department says the device was reported about 11:45 a.m. near the corner of Stockton and Geary streets in the park area of the square. At first, police issued a shelter-in-place order, followed by a partial evacuation of offices and stores surrounding the square. People were allowed to return to the area just after 1:30 p.m.
Rachael Marcus, reporting for KQED from the scene, says police removed what appeared to be a large backpack and other items from the park. She says an investigator told her that the object "was more than a backpack" and that police are searching for whoever left it.
Union Square is currently occupied by hospitality tents for Sunday's Nike Women's Marathon.