A California congresswoman called protests that brought traffic to a standstill on the Golden Gate Bridge earlier this week “unacceptable,” saying protesters who trapped motorists and first responders for hours were “unacceptable.” “We must hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he declared. ”
Republican Rep. Kate Sanchez, who represents California’s 71st Congressional District, spoke to Fox News Digital on Friday about the massive anti-Israel protests that left motorists stuck on the Golden Gate Bridge for up to seven hours.
Anti-Israel agitators blocked traffic on both lanes of the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday, holding placards saying things like “Stop the world for Gaza” and “End the siege of Gaza now!”
Local news reports detailed how the California Highway Patrol (CHP) arrested dozens of protesters on Monday.
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California Congresswoman Kate Sanchez condemned protesters who blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge for several hours earlier this week.
“These protests not only prevent someone from getting to work on time, they also prevent first responders from arriving at the scene of an emergency or immediately transporting someone in need of help,” Sanchez said. “This potentially hinders this.”
“They’re not just in the life-or-death minutes, they’re in their way for hours on end,” she continued.
Sanchez acknowledged that he believes in the right to protest and freedom of speech, but called the protesters’ excesses “unacceptable.”
She declared, “There needs to be a more productive and thoughtful way to do it, because we don’t want to hurt people who need health care or who can’t get the health care they need.”
He cited new legislation he recently proposed that would deter these protesters and give law enforcement and prosecutors more power to hold them accountable.
Introducing Sanchez AB 2742 In February, penalties will increase for people who block the path of emergency vehicles within 1,000 feet while blaring their sirens.
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Anti-Israel demonstrators block traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in California on Monday, April 15th. (KTVU)
Sanchez said the bill would double the fees violators would have to pay. “If it’s $100, double it to $200, up to $1,000. It’s not terrible. Protesters. “It just adds to the toolbox for holding people accountable. And I think so.” That’s a very reasonable question. ”
She said the current fees are inadequate because the cost of getting a misdemeanor ticket in this situation is “less than a speeding ticket.”
“When you’re talking about the possibility of people not being able to get to a situation where they need emergency medical care, right? Now that’s less than a speeding ticket. So what we’re saying is that we’re speeding. I’d like to see them double the fines and fines they have to show them that they should think more seriously about what they’re doing and do it somewhere else, and that’s just too much to ask. I don’t think so,” Sanchez said.
She argued that Sacramento authorities have been “extremely tolerant of crime” over the past few years, resulting in policies that deny justice to those injured at the scene.
Anti-Israel protesters blocked the Golden Gate Bridge for hours on Monday. (Ronald Davis/Commuter)
Sanchez said his bill, if signed into law, would “restore some balance” to the state.
“If there was an adult tantrum like that, I would hope they would be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Enough is enough,” she said.
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“It’s unacceptable and it has to stop,” Sanchez said, adding he hoped both sides could find common ground and pass legislation to prevent future chaos.
