Protester falls from Golden Gate Bridge

San Jose Mercury News ^ | March 19, 2003 | Mercury News Staff

[TankerKC]

An anti-war protester who climbed one of the towers on the Golden Gate Bridge fell into San Francisco Bay early this afternoon.

[SAMWolf]

<===Mash This

[Chad Fairbanks]

Depending on the height, how you hit etc... it CAN be just like 'landing' on cement... either way, it would NOT be pleasant...

[RightOnline]

Ditto.

[Militiaman7]

Well said, RR, Well said.

[Aaron0617]

Please keep your comments respectfull. Why?

My thoughts exactly. Does this mean the 'Hold Muh Beer..' threads will no longer be accepted here?

[LittleRedRooster]

Dang anti-gravity protesters!

The arrogance of Americans is unbelievable, frist we think that we can stop bulldozers in their tracks and now we are defying gravity.

[bluecollarman]

"This is a tragedy that demands respect. Prayers for this man."

Respect? No..I don't think so, sympathy maybe but respect?.

Prayers won't help him....cause he's dead and he died stupidly for no reason. He wasted his precious gift of life. He was reckless, selfesh, and obviously incompetent at high altitude sign hanging.

You might say a prayer for his folks though, I am sure they are having a hard time with it.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I offered no prayers... look again :0)

[kcvl]

19 Mar 2003 22:18
Apparent protester dies in Golden Gate Bridge leap

---

(Adds police details throughout)

SAN FRANCISCO, March 19 (Reuters) - A man who may have been protesting the looming U.S. war on Iraq plunged to his death from San Francisco's famed Golden Gate Bridge on Wednesday, officials said.

The unidentified man, who handed authorities a statement before jumping, survived the initial fall into the frigid San Francisco Bay but died soon after Coast Guard rescuers scooped him up and rushed him to shore for treatment, police said.

"He jumped, he wasn't pushed," said California Highway Patrol spokesman Wayne Ziese, who called the death a suicide. "Apparently he had a statement to give to police and jumped."

Authorities had initially said the man slipped or jumped while hanging a banner on one of the bridge towers protesting a U.S. war on Iraq.

But U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Dan Brophy later said rescue workers so far had not found the banner indicating the man was a protester.

Either way, the soaring span connecting San Francisco and the Marin Headlands represents one of the top spots in the nation for suicides. Out of the 1,000 people who have jumped off the 225 foot- (69 metre-) span only about 15 have survived.

Anti-war sentiment is strong in the San Francisco Bay Area, where tens of thousands of protesters marched last weekend to rally against military action. The death of the man in his 30s, however, would be the first related to the latest protests over the U.S.-led war against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

[ApesForEvolution]

At this pace the herd is thinning on the anti-American communist peacenik side faster than any other...

[bluecollarman]

sorry... my post to chad was supposed to be to you.

[FITZ]

Yes ---it seems there will be more casualties in the protestor faction than in either the Iraqis or Americans. Too bad they don't at least wait for the war to begin before getting killed in it.

[bluecollarman]

Sorry... I had the wrong one, tried to fix it and I still didn't get it right the last post either...I think I need a break.

[FITZ]

An anti-war protester who climbed one of the towers on the Golden Gate Bridge fell into San Francisco Bay early this afternoon.

Hold muh protest sign and watch this!

[Poohbah]

"No blood for oiiilllllllll...."

[ApesForEvolution]

Maybe we should hold off for a few more days...

[cavtrooper21]

ANSWER will blame this guy's gene pool cleansing moment on GW, just you watch...

[csvset]

There are a few folks who have survived the jump from the roadway level. One was a high school kid who not only survived, but swam over to meet the Coast Guard cutter sent to retrieve him.

The kid was in excellent shape, a member of his school's swim team.

[ApesForEvolution]

How many protesters does it take to hang an anti-America banner from the GGB? Hopefully several hundred...

[FITZ]

demands respect

Pity possibly, respect no way.