Updated: Montgomery station has now been reopened. Embarcadero is still closed.
In a demonstration that gathered crowds before the 7 a.m. start time, the planned #BARTFriday event shows no sign of letting up. In the Montgomery station, BART made announcements earlier this morning repeating that there is "no service to the East Bay" and BART later officially confirmed that "due to a civil disturbance" trains would not be stopping at Montgomery or Embarcadero stations. (Montgomery has since re-opened). One man was arrested at Montgomery, and eight cops carried him up the escalator as protestors banged spoons on metal poles and trains, chanting "Let us on the train." The crowd split in half, with one group marching towards the Embarcadero, and that station has now been shut down by BART too.
It's too early to know of the demands the group has made, like for Alameda County prosecutors to drop charges against 14 protesters that blocked a BART train late last year, will be met.
There is no indication of when Embarcadero is expected to open again, but for now, expect delays and think of finding alternate ways of getting to work. We will be updating this post as we have additional info.
Additional reporting and photo by Sierra Hartman
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