BART Protest Rescheduled for Thursday; How Will it Benefit You?

Commuting for free

​Don't think that a holiday on Monday meant a holiday from BART protests. The active mob of demonstrators informed the media that they will be in full swing on Thursday, promising to block the fare gates.

But this protest, as strange as it sounds, might actually translate into a free ride home for commuters. The two groups organizing the demonstration -- No Justice, No BART and the Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant -- plan to block the fare gates so that BART will be forced to open the emergency gates and let passengers out without paying fares.

Protesters are asking people to meet at the Powell Street station at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Krystof Lopaur, an organizer for No Justice, No BART, told reporters on Monday that if BART shuts down the station, then protesters will move to the next station and block those fares gates, too.

It is the fourth week of BART protests in response to the July 3 shooting of Charles Hill, a 45-year-old transient who police say was armed with knives when they shot him on the Civic Center platform.

Last week's protest, organized by Anonymous, the well-known hacking group, was weak compared to the previous demonstrations, where protesters climbed onto trains and blocked doors, forcing BART to close stations. Commuters were furious and frustrated by the ongoing protests. But last week, demonstrators toned it down, keeping the protests outside the station so as to not interrupt the evening commute.

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