A May Day protest at San Francisco International Airport temporarily closed the International Terminal Departures roadway Friday morning, prompting the arrests of several Bay Area elected officials who joined demonstrators on the upper level curb. SFO announced that all lanes on both the upper and lower roadway levels had reopened by 1 p.m.
San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, State Senator Josh Becker, and SF Supervisor Rafael Mandelman were among those arrested during the demonstration. All were cited and released. Chan, who is currently running for Nancy Pelosi’s congressional seat, said she attended in support of fair wages for airport workers. “Our workers deserve fair pay, fair contracts, and health care,” she said. “We are demanding that our workers get those benefits and fair pay right now.” Becker framed his participation as a matter of labor principle. “On May Day, I stand for fair labor practices and wages, even if it means being arrested,” he said in a statement. “One job should be enough to live in the Bay Area and unfortunately it isn’t for too many workers including some airport workers whose contract just expired.”
SFO had issued protesters a free speech permit for May Day-related activity ahead of the demonstration. The roadway closure was implemented as a safety precaution, with vehicles temporarily rerouted to the lower arrivals level of the International Terminal. SFO also directed passengers to use the Kiss and Fly facility at the Rental Car Center for International Terminal pickup and dropoff during the disruption. None of the domestic terminals were affected.
The San Francisco Police Department said it was facilitating and monitoring the protest and reported no injuries. Airport officials are advising travelers to allow extra time for any residual delays.
