Attorneys for 'Golden Gate Bridge 26' demand SF DA recusal, citing possible conflict of interest

SAN FRANCISCO - Attorneys representing a group of Bay Area residents arrested at Golden Gate Bridge protests in April are demanding that San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins recuse herself from their case. In a letter to the DA's office, the attorneys cited closed-door meetings Jenkins attended at the Israeli consulate last year as key examples of a potential conflict of interest.

The letter comes after 26 Bay Area demonstrators were arrested. Known collectively as the "Golden Gate Bridge 26", the demonstrators blocked traffic on the bridge for hours, trapping more than 200 people. Arrest warrants were issued for the demonstrators earlier this month, before the group turned themselves in. 

Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down the Golden Gate Bridge. April 15, 2024. 

The demonstrators are facing charges from felony and misdemeanor conspiracy to trespassing, unlawful assembly and failure to obey a uniformed officer. Their attorneys say these charges are a harsh response to a vital Bay Area tradition of peaceful protests.  

"No prior Bay Area bridge protest has been over-charged this way. It is clear that District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is trying to make a political point at the expense of these Palestine activists," Rachel Lederman, Senior Counsel at the Center for Protest Law and Litigation said.

Nuha Abusamra from San Francisco's Public Defenders Office said the DA's office is biased against Palestinians and those who support their causes.

"Brooke Jenkins holds an anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian bias in their prosecution and that prevents them from being fair," said Abusamra.

The letter sent to the DA also noted that at the Israeli consulate meetings, Jenkins received gifts. Jenkins isn't the only one in her office coming under fire by the attorneys for the Golden Gate Bridge 26. 

The attorneys argue there are "well-documented" patterns of Anti-Arab racism within the DA's office. The letter referenced a series of emails sent by Assistant District Attorney Michael Menesini. As first reported by The San Francisco Standard, Menesini allegedly described Palestinians as "brutal Arab invaders", "hate mongers" and "Nazis" in a series of emails. 

The DA's office told KTVU that this prosecution is not political.

"This case is being handled like every other case based on the facts, evidence and the law. The charging decision here was made after an extensive investigation by the California Highway Patrol and based solely on the facts from that investigation and the laws that currently exist," the DA's team said in a statement. 

However, the office also said it will always respond to a "real or apparent" conflict by recusing specific staff, even if that includes the DA herself. The office also pushed back on whether those Israeli Consulate meetings constitute a conflict. 

"DA Jenkins’ meetings with consular staff does not create a real or apparent conflict of interest. DA Jenkins, like other elected and public officials, and previous elected DAs has met periodically, on request with the consular staff of several nations including El Salvador, Estonia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, the Philippines, Switzerland, and the SF Consular Corps. Meetings involve discussions around safety of consulates, consulate staff, and their citizen populations."

The DA's office did not mince words in response to the letter from Golden Gate Bridge 26 attorneys. 

"If the defense files a recusal motion, we will litigate that in court, not in the press," the DA's office wrote.