Pro-Palestinian protesters took over Union Square in San Francisco and some were arrested, according to police.  

At about 2 p.m. on Saturday, San Francisco police were facilitating the pro-Palestinian protest that drew hundreds of people demanding that the U.S. halt funding to Israel. Officers began stationing at Market and Fifth streets, the department said.  

According to police, the group then moved to Union Square, where “several people began to commit crimes,” ranging from assault to felony vandalism, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department said. The department said there was property damage as well.  

A photo of a protester climbing the Union Square Christmas tree with a sign could be seen on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Several people were arrested, and as of 8 p.m. the group appeared to have left Union Square, police said, though officers remained in the area.  

SFPD would not confirm the exact number of arrests since it is still an active investigation. 

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.