Golden Gate Bridge fireworks will be a rare patriotic event

This year on July 4th, for the third time in history, an organized fireworks display will be held at San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge. This only happned in twice before in 1987 and 2012 for the bridge’s 50th and 75th annivesary. Expect crowds to be massive and public transportation, ride shares and simply walking is highly recommended. 

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco is preparing for its major July 4th fireworks display on Saturday night, an event expected to draw massive crowds as pyrotechnics are launched directly from the Golden Gate Bridge for only the third time in history.

Will crowds flood Marina? 

What we don’t know:

To pull off the event, the Golden Gate Bridge, major roadways, and key parking lots at Marina Green and Crissy Field will be shut down. 

Several neighborhood streets will also be blocked off, creating significant traffic hurdles. Officials are strongly advising spectators to utilize public transit due to severely limited parking.

Local residents in the Marina District have expressed concern over the impending chaos as crowds flood the neighborhood.

“I’m a little worried, yeah,” said nearby resident Michael Zoboski. “I think it’s gonna be definitely hectic. I don’t know where people are going to park, it seems like it’s taking up a large amount of the streets up here. I think it’s going to be a little crazy.”

To manage the influx, access to many surrounding neighborhoods will be strictly limited to local residents. 

Checking IDs

What we know:

Law enforcement officers will be checking IDs and questioning drivers to verify residency. According to the district supervisor, there will be 10 police officers deployed per block in the Marina.

Road closures will stretch from Baker Street to Van Ness Avenue between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. 

Portions of Fisherman’s Wharf are scheduled to shut down even earlier, starting at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon, with much of that neighborhood also restricted to local access. The Golden Gate Bridge itself will close to traffic starting at 9 p.m.

Additionally, roads will be closed in the Presidio and Richmond District. To encourage the use of public transportation, Muni is providing special shuttles to help transport spectators to the viewing areas.

A jury in San Francisco returned to a packed courtroom Thursday morning to tell a judge that it was deadlocked on two counts in the case against seven pro-Palestinian protesters who shut down traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in 2024 to denounce U.S. aid to Israel in the Israel-Hamas war.

The jury indicated that it could likely reach a decision on one of the deadlocked counts, but the other it could not. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Teresa Caffese asked the jury to resume deliberations on one of the two deadlocked counts.

“Why don’t I send you back, and then we’ll go from there,” Caffese said.

Six of the protesters who chained themselves together on vehicles on the bridge and a protester who was designated to communicate with authorities are each facing eight to nine charges of felony conspiracy and false imprisonment.

The seven defendants sat in the courtroom with anticipation for a verdict, wearing keffiyehs around their necks. Dozens of their supporters packed the courtroom to the brim.

The jury reached unanimous decisions on the rest of the counts. It did not indicate which two counts it was deadlocked on.

Supporters of the seven protesters said that a verdict on the rest of the counts is expected to be read out sometime Thursday.