[Ninong]

Free Tibet Protesters Were Sentenced This Week


Three protesters who scaled the Golden Gate Bridge and unfurled "Free Tibet" banners on April 7 were sentenced to do community service with a group they already work with.

Remember back in April when the Olympic torch made it's only U.S. appearance in San Francisco? The mayor and the chief of police pulled a fast one and changed the route at the last minute to avoid protesters but the protesters who got the most publicity were the three who climbed the cables of the Golden Gate bridge to unfurl a gigantic "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet" banner a couple days before the torch relay.

The three protesters who scaled the Golden Gate Bridge and unfurled "Free Tibet" banners while suspended 150 feet over traffic a couple of days before the big Olympic torch run in April will have all the charges against them dismissed once they complete 25 hours of community service.

Thanks to a decision by San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris' office, the three were eligible for pretrial diversion and community service - and the court officials in charge of picking the community service sent them to Students for a Free Tibet.

Shouldn't be too onerous, since the three were already affiliated with the group when they climbed up the bridge's suspension cables April 7.

"That's beautiful," said a not-too-happy John Moylan, president of the Golden Gate Bridge District Board of Directors.

The CHP asked the D.A. to file felony conspiracy charges. The CHP gets uptight when things like this happen.

Harris' office said prosecutors lacked the evidence to prove that the three climbers and their cohorts had conspired together, although according to CHP Capt. Bob Morehen, the D.A. pulled the plug on a felony case while CHP investigators were still trying to get that evidence.

As a result, the three climbers were charged with misdemeanor trespassing, creating a public nuisance and resisting arrest. And since all three were eligible for pretrial diversion, the charges will be dropped once they complete their 25 hours of community service with their pro-Tibet group.

"It doesn't surprise me," said Morehen, who has been around San Francisco for some time. "Does it surprise you?"

No, it doesn't surprise me either.



P.S. -- You are free to disagree with the way this was handled. However, I can assure you that most San Franciscans are pleased with this outcome. If the CHP wants to throw people in jail, they can start with all the repeat drunk drivers.

Chinese-Americans make up 30% of the population in San Francisco. Anybody who thinks Kamala Harris is going to get tough with three young people protesting against the brutal communist regime in China is smoking something.