OPENING STATEMENTS
Court Sketch of Opening Statements in the GG26 Jury Trial, May 20th, 2026
The jury trial began in earnest today, May 20th, 2026. The day started outside the courtroom with supporters reaffirming strength and solidarity in the face of repression. They chanted: From Kashmir to Palestine, Occupation is a crime. From Palestine to Mexico, border walls have GOT TO GO. From Congo to the Philippines, STOP the US War Machine.
Before the lawyers presented the case, the jury looked out a gallery filled with more than 50 supporters, mostly clad in keffiyehs. The defense attorneys had successfully protected the right of spectators to wear keffiyehs two weeks ago when the prosecution asked the judge to ban them.
Court Sketch of Opening Statements in the GG26 Jury Trial, May 20th, 2026
The government introduced their case, trying to narrow the story to the four hours on the bridge. The jury watched a few clips of the action and heard that some people had been very inconvenienced by the action.
Then the defense attorneys previewed for the jury that the government would not be able to meet its burden of proving criminal intent, and that the actions taken were necessary to stop the flow of arms and funding to the genocidal Zionist entity. Each attorney placed that day in a broader context. The Palestinian cause predates October 2023, they said. When the violence escalated to the point where hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza were being slaughtered every single day with US money and US missiles, the defendants felt the devastation deeply. Like the majority of Americans, they wanted taxpayer money to fund housing, education, and healthcare. Instead, the taxes were being sent to commit atrocities against Palestinians. These were crimes against humanity and violations of US’s own laws.
Prior to the action the defendants had called their representatives, sent letters to Congress, marched in the streets, picketed outside genocide profiteers in the Bay Area, organized in city council. The US government watched the hundreds of thousands of people who protested, yet increased funding to the genocidal state of Israel. What are the people supposed to do when the government doesn’t listen to the people? What people have effectively done before: civil disobedience. A coordinated economic blockade in major cities around the world would make politicians listen, and know that there was a cost to continuing to support genocide.
The defense told the jury that they would hear evidence of how the defendants thought through the consequences of their actions. They arranged for emergency vehicles to be let through if needed. They brought snacks and water to pass out. They did not intend to harm anyone on that bridge, and took steps to ensure everyone’s safety.