BART Under Fire For Scripted Anti-Protest Stunt

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The head spokesman for the San Francisco Bay Area's commuter rail agency has come under criticism for attempting to stock a news conference with supporters angry about protests at San Francisco train stations.

Johnson sent an email to Bay Area Rapid Transit colleagues outlining his strategy to win over public opinion by showcasing loyal riders at the media event, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The email was first reported by the Bay Citizen online newspaper.

The plan was to round up 10 to 15 BART supporters who would say protesters were putting their safety at risk. Johnson also provided a script for the supportive riders.

Only one of the supporters contacted showed up for the August news conference and was not quoted by media outlets, which found many disgruntled riders on their own who were willing to share their opinions.

The agency rented sport utility vehicles to shuttle the passengers to the news conference at a cost of $872, said BART board president Bob Franklin, who on Wednesday called Johnson's plan inappropriate.

"It was inappropriate for him, or anyone, to provide talking points to passengers," Franklin said. "It wasn't genuine, and there was no need for it. BART doesn't have to do that."

Johnson has been on personal leave since Aug. 22 and could not be reached for a response. He was scheduled to return to work Monday.

The former television news journalist acted as the public face of the agency as protesters attempted to disrupt train service. They were angry over the fatal BART police shooting of a 45-year-old transient in July.

Johnson himself became a target of demonstrators' ire after he took credit for an August decision to shut down cell phone service in BART stations to hinder more protests.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)