ABC 7: More than 20 protesters detained after rally, march

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA- April 18, 2012)-- -- Twenty-three protesters were detained following a rally and march in San Francisco Wednesday that called on top city officials to forgo pay raises they are set to receive later this year, a union organizer said.

Several hundred protesters gathered in front of City Hall at around 4 p.m. before marching down Market Street this evening. The march blocked traffic for about an hour and came to an end when 23 protesters were detained while sitting in a crosswalk in front of a Bank of America branch at around 7 p.m., union spokesman Carlos Rivera said.

Rivera said union members are unhappy that top city officials could get raises while "asking for the fifth year in a row for more cutbacks and wage cuts" from the union.

"Our members are very upset," he said. "It feels really unfair."

Rivera tonight added that the protesters' message was two-fold and it was no coincidence that the protesters ended their rally in front of a bank.

"It's symbolic that it was right by Bank of America because mega-banks and corporations are not paying their fair share of taxes," Rivera said.

Organizers said similar protests are planned for April 30 at City Hall.

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