Bay Area Protesters Ask for Financial Relief

(Brooke Anderson @movementphotographer)

There are many legitimate points to be made about seeking solutions to societal problems through spending money, yet until the dawn of that dollar-free day there also many legitimate ways to funnel resources to those in need with whatever dough one can spare. In that spirit, the Bay Area finds itself home to numerous activists in need of money to accommodate the expenses and citations they’re racking up. Most of those under the gun in spring 2024 are protesting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, perpetuated by the United States and Israel.

That’s why the Bay Area Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) put out a call in March to raise relief funds for those in protest. The money can be sent to @STOP_GENOCIDE via Venmo.

The specific folks in need of aid are those who have been arrested for public disruptions ranging as far back as November 3 when numerous activists blocked a ship leaving the Port of Oakland, the boat allegedly heading to Israel. There were also hundreds of demonstrators who caught heat on March 13 for blocking the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for hours, collecting fines and fees along the way. Protesters also disrupted a dinner at Rockridge restaurant Acre for Mike Wirth, CEO at Chevron which ships oil to keep the tanks rolling through homes in the West Bank. Dozens of demonstrators who shut down traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge were charged by grifting politico DA Brooke Jenkins; In that spirit,  all 78 were exonerated on Friday, March 15, under the condition they avoid arrest for two months and complete public service.

(Bay Area PYM)

Causing a stir for the powers that be has a rich history in the Bay. The Third World Liberation Front was born at San Francisco State University, the same college well-known for its groundbreaking ethnic studies program. The Black Panther Party is rooted in Oakland, and Harvey Milk, the country’s first openly gay politician who incited tremendous backlash with his role as a city supervisor, lived in the Castro District. Now, as the Israel-Hamas War exceeds five months and more than 60,000 Palestinian casualties stack up alongside about 1,200 Israeli casualties according to the Gaza Health Ministry, the stakes are higher than ever in recent months for demonstrators and organizers.