SAN FRANCISCO, CA – DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators ride atop a vehicle during a caravan protest along the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India’s striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Hundreds of people led a procession across the Bay Bridge Saturday afternoon in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several agriculture laws.
Bay Area residents, many of them Indian immigrants or residents of South Asian descent, were joined by travelers from the Central Valley and greater Sacramento area to wave flags, honk horns and chant protest slogans. The caravan departed near the Port of Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco, where protesters said the country’s deregulatory laws will drive Indian farmers to economic ruin. It snarled traffic on the bridge for much of the afternoon, finally cleaning around 7 p.m..
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws participate in a caravan protest across the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco to support India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators ride atop a vehicle during a caravan protest along the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: A demonstrator in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws waves an orange flag as he rides on the passenger window, bottom right, as part of a caravan protest along the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco to support striking farmworkers in India. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Dec. 5: Protesters gather in front of the General Consul of India in San Francisco, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in solidarity with striking farmers in India. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Dec. 5: Protesters gather in front of the General Consul of India in San Francisco, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in solidarity with striking farmers in India. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: A person holds a sign as he rides in one of the many vehicles taking part in a caravan protest across the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan protest, held in solidarity for farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws, traveled from Oakland to the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Dec. 5: Protesters gather in front of the General Consul of India in San Francisco, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in solidarity with striking farmers in India. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Vehicles move slowly across the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge after being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic caused by a caravan protest in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan, held in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws, departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws caravan protest along the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco to support India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Dec. 5: Sukhwinder Sidhu speaks during a protest in front of the General Consul of India in San Francisco, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The event was held in solidarity with striking farmers in India. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Dec. 5: Protesters gather in front of the General Consul of India in San Francisco, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in solidarity with striking farmers in India. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws participate in a caravan protest across the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Dec. 5: Protesters gather in front of the General Consul of India in San Francisco, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in solidarity with striking farmers in India. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Dec. 5: Protesters gather in front of the General Consul of India in San Francisco, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in solidarity with striking farmers in India. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws participate in a caravan protest across the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 5: A demonstrator rides outside the vehicle sunroof during a caravan protest on their way to the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators honk their vehicles as they ride on a ramp near the toll plaza during a caravan protest on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: A demonstrator rides outside a vehicle's sunroof after crossing the toll plaza during a caravan protest along the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws participate in a caravan protest across the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators get out of their car to take photos as they block traffic on Treasure Island during a caravan protest along the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The vehicle was part of a caravan that departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Demonstrators ride atop a vehicle during a caravan protest along the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco in solidarity with India's striking farmworkers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Vehicles move slowly across the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge after being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic caused by a caravan protest in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan, held in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws, departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 5: A demonstrator in solidarity with farmers in India who are protesting several new agriculture laws waves an orange flag as he rides on the passenger window, bottom right, as part of a caravan protest along the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The caravan departed Oakland and circled past the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco to support striking farmworkers in India. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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For days on end, thousands of farmers have poured into the Indian capital of New Delhi. Hundreds have been detained or arrested, according to news reports, as protests have meanwhile spread elsewhere in the country, as well as the U.S. and Canada.
“The bills they introduced are 110% against the farmers and the people in Punjab,” said Livermore resident Harpreet Singh. “They have to kneel down on their knees and take these bills back.”
As the caravan proceeded through Oakland, a large group of protesters lined the sidewalks of Middle Harbor Road, some standing at the Maritime Way intersection and chanting at the vehicles passing by. Demonstrators held signs that read, “Shame on the Indian government!” and “We are farmers, not terrorists,” the latter an apparent reference to anti-protest rhetoric in India.
While some brought flyers criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, others said their only cause was to advocate for farmers who would lose government support under the new policies. Indian farmers say that the laws could eliminate the price guarantees they now receive from the government.
“This is a cultural movement,” said Navi Singh. “Farmers have never been able to get by in India and everyone knows that.”
Although organized by the Jakara Movement, word of Saturday’s demonstration was shared widely on social media. Jagmeet Mohar traveled to Oakland from Manteca in San Joaquin County after seeing a post on his Facebook feed.
“It’s an effort from our side (of the world) to support farmers who are, right now, sleeping on the street,” Mohar said.
