Black Friday Protest Shuts Down BART

#BART not moving at #SFO, ripple effect of protests in Oakland pic.twitter.com/W6YLjTJV66
— Larry Beil (@LarryBeilABC7) November 28, 2014

Protesters shut  greater San Francisco's BART down on Friday, hoping to block passage and shopping for four hours - the time 18-year-old Michael Brown's corpse lay in the street in Ferguson after a police officer fatally shot him this summer.

The Transbay Service at the West Oakland station heading to San Francisco was halted at 10:45 a.m. and resumed limited service about an hour later. About 1 p.m., BART police had arrested nearly 15 people for interfering with the railway system.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said about 20 people had chained themselves - or used duct tape to bind their arms together -  on the platform and she urged commuters to find alternative transportation. Many typically leave their cars behind to head to San Francisco from Oakland on BART on this day to start their Christmas shopping.

One woman, Emani Alyce, sent out a steady stream of photos and videos on Twitter from the BART station, saying that there were "all these beautiful black people out her to support the shut down! #Oakland #Ferguson #BlackLivesMatter. Rasheed and Shabbaz, a member the Afrikanblackcoaltion.org, tweeted: "Rise up! #Shutitdown Oakland is the peoples town."

(via NBC Bay Area)

UPDATE

Still major delays on BART.

We have begun limited train svc in and out of SF. WOAK stn is closed no trains will not stop at WOAK. We have major delays system wide.
— SFBARTalert (@SFBARTalert) November 28, 2014

#developing Oakland Fire just brought in big chainsaw-maybe to cut chains holding protestors to BART car and bench? pic.twitter.com/q2nF3gqm4W
— Laura Anthony (@LauraAnthony7) November 28, 2014

#BREAKING Another option to unchain BART protestors? Jaws of Life? If demonstrators have key, not offering it. pic.twitter.com/hpMd4EJKof
— Laura Anthony (@LauraAnthony7) November 28, 2014