BART riders in San Francisco staged an “eat-in” inside of Embarcadero station after a BART officer detained a man for eating on a train platform, ABC7 reports.
About 30 people gathered for the lunch-time protest.
The incident began last week when a BART police officer detained Steve Foster for eating a sandwich on the platform. State law prohibits eating and drinking in the paid portions of the stations.
“I was just up there eating my sandwich waiting for the train to come,” Foster explained to the station.
That was when Foster alleges that the officer, whose name tag identified him as “D. McCormick,” singled him out. McCormick allegedly walked past others eating and drinking on the platform, and eventually handcuffed Foster.
“I’m definitely upset, mad, a little frustrated, angry about it,” Foster added.
Foster, who goes by Bill Gluckman on Facebook, shared video footage of the incident. In it, McCormick is holding on to Foster’s bag. He keeps telling him that he is being detained and is not free to leave.
BART spokesperson Alicia Trost emphasized that the officer did not arrest Foster, but “cited [him] for eating.”
“The man was lawfully handcuffed after refusing to provide his name multiple times, once he provided his name he was cited and released,” BART said in a statement.