BART suspends service to Fruitvale Station because of protest

(01-07) 18:36 PST OAKLAND -- BART suspended service to the Fruitvale Station in Oakland well into the evening commute because of a protest over the fatal police shooting of a 22-year-old man there New Year's Day. Officials shut down the station after several hundred people gathered there about 3 p.m. to protest the shooting of Oscar Grant of Hayward. No incidents between demonstrators and passengers were reported and no arrests have been made, but BART officials decided to close the station and run trains through as a safety precaution. BART also said protesters were blocking the gates. BART said it was setting up a bus bridge at the Coliseum Station for passengers needing to get to Fruitvale. Four buses are running between the stations, officials said. BART said the closure is expected to last until the protesters leave. At 6 p.m. many were still there, and some had broken away to march on the transit agency's offices downtown.