[ chanting ] protesters chain themselves to trains, grinding b.a.r.t. to a halt. next on abc 7 news at 4:00, the message behind the mayhem. the shopping frenzy is on. the deals and the battles on this black friday. i'm spencer christian. might be a good idea to dust off the umbrella and rain gear. we have several days of rain coming our way. i'll have the forecast coming up. good afternoon. i'm larry beil. >> i'm ama daetz. about 25 protesters chained themselves to b.a.r.t. trains halting service between oakland and san francisco for more than two hours. it's part of the continuing

unrest following the grand jury's decision not to indict the white police officer who fatally shot a black teenager in missouri. >> abc 7 news reporter laura anthony was the first reporter on the scene and shot this cell phone video at the west oakland b.a.r.t. station. laura joining us live there now with the latest, presumably a lot calmer. >> reporter: well, really back to normal here, larry. this protest though was clearly highly organized and well planned and apparently caught both b.a.r.t. and its police force off guard. there was no destruction but plenty of disruption. they did it in a matter of minutes. two teams of black-clad demonstrators armed with chains and heavy bike locks managed to shut down a good portion of the b.a.r.t. system by locking themselves to two trains in west oakland.

>> i'm ready to stay here for four hours and 28 minutes. he laid there dead in the street for hours. we're ready to make the statement black lives do matter. >> reporter: when it became clear demonstrators weren't moving, the passengers on this train were evacuated. >> i'm trying to get home to livermore. >> reporter: what do you think? >> they need to move. >> i'm pretty disturbed because i don't really think it's going to make a difference. it disrupts a lot of people in their everyday lives. >> reporter: b.a.r.t. police gave several dispersal orders before moving in to arrest those in the human chain. 14 demonstrators in all, seven on each side, were eventually cuffed and led away. but not before shutting down the station and much of the system for more than two hours. >> they were planning to be out here four hours and 28 minutes. was that ever an option for you guys? >> no, we were not going to allow the system to be disrupted for any longer than we could resolve the situation.

>> reporter: those arrested were booked on charges of interfering with the railway operation and trespassing. laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> here's a different view of those protesters from sky 7 hd. you can see them through the opening of the roof of the b.a.r.t. platform as they are standing with arms extended, chained to each other as well as a b.a.r.t. train on one end and a bench on the other. >> when the protesters shut down the trans-bay tube they left a whole lot of people on both sides of the bay stuck. we talked with some folks at san francisco's embarcadero station who had taken b.a.r.t. into the city to shop and they were frustrated because they couldn't get home for hours. all trains are up and running on time now. it was a black friday frenzy across the country. in texas, things got heated and police officers had to intervene at a houston walmart. you can see shoppers fighting for flat screen tvs. they wouldn't let go until police finally had to pull them off.

>> the girl socked the guy in the face. >> oh, brother. in southern california, two people got into a shoving match with at least one woman throwing a punch. witnesses say the brawl started over a $5 barbie. calm down, people. >> crowds were a little calmer here but there were still a lot of early bargain hunters. >> abc 7 news reporter nick smith was in milpedas as the doors to black friday opened early this morning. >> reporter: headed to the mall today? prepare. not only for deep discounts but also the rush of other shoppers. but you got to ask, is dealing with these crowds worth the black friday deals? >> yes. it is. >> reporter: holly says today is all about hanging with her girlfriends, catching up and hunting for as many bargains as possible. >> i went to victoria's secret, got some really cheap long sleeve shirts and pajamas and stuff. >> family bonding time.

>> retailers, anywhere between 20% to 70% off and they are shopping until they drop. >> reporter: lynn rice is the director of marketing at great mall. before you think what she says is all spin, take a look. we found shoppers loaded with goods, too tired to stand literally shopping til they dropped. >> everyone has different hours and we really want to meet and exceed customers' expectations in regards to that. >> reporter: black friday isn't only about big screen tvs and designer duds. it's also the day you can officially start to decorate for the holidays. >> we usually get it like soon after thanksgiving. >> reporter: bob findley is using black friday to get the jump on finding the perfect christmas tree. >> the branches are just like not the same. and the smell, of course. >> reporter: shoppers aren't the only ones keeping a watchful eye. cops are, too. the police department put this sign up on the expressway warning shoppers to stay alert. in the great mall parking lot, extra attendants to direct

traffic and if requested, escort visitors to their car. in this lot, a security station in the event of an emergency. nick smith, abc 7 news. the black friday sales are drawing big crowds across the bay area. this is a packed parking lot at southland mall in hayward. you can see cars just driving around and around in circles looking for a place to park. >> a record crowd hit macy's in new york's herald square. the store's ceo estimating that more than 15,000 people showed up at macy's historic flagship store. >> black friday may still kick off the holiday shopping season but its reign at the top is coming to an end. in nine of the last ten years it's been the biggest shopping day of the year. thanksgiving shopping is stealing some of its thunder and store traffic on black friday fell 11% last year. this year, the saturday before christmas is expected to be the busiest followed by the day after christmas. if you are shopping tonight, might be shopping in the rain

because it is coming. spencer christian is here with our first look at the accuweather forecast. >> we were fighting over umbrellas today. no punches were thrown, just stormy stares. here's a look at live doppler 7 hd. give you a look what's coming our way in terms of stormy weather. most of the bay area is experiencing calm, quiet weather but the clouds have thickened up north. there's a lot of moisture in northern sonoma county north of santa rosa. maybe raindrops hitting the ground already although we don't have reports yet. before we get to that, let me show you how severe the deficit is. most bay area locations are around an inch and a half below the seasonal average for this point in the season but santa rosa is nearly 4 1/2 inches below average. santa rosa will see things changing today. here's what we expect this evening. up in the north bay, scattered showers developing right now. after 8:00 p.m., we will see rain arriving at san francisco and oakland, then in the south bay and inland east bay, rain after midnight. here's the forecast animation starting 6:00 this evening, at which point we will see rain

falling in northern sonoma county, including santa rosa. then later, 11:00, we will see rain becoming more widespread. a wave of rain pushing down below the golden gate into san francisco to points in the northern part of the peninsula and out to the east bay. then during overnight hours, 1:00 a.m., we will see the rain become more intense with pockets of heavy rain here and there. at 4:00 a.m., notice although the rain will be widespread, looks like it will be breaking up a little bit but it will not be breaking up for good. we have more waves of rain and showers coming our way. some of it will be intense and it will last for several days. i will have the accuweather seven day forecast in a few minutes. >> thank you, spencer. flooding could be an issue with all that expected rainfall. the contra costa county sheriff's office is encouraging residents who live in unincorporated areas to take advantage of several sandbag stations set up across the county. you do have to bring your own shovel but sand and bagging materials will be provided. go to abc7news.com for a complete list of stations. we are learning more today about that sideshow that was caught on video wednesday night

by sky 7 hd. >> police and chp officers on patrol in oakland quickly broke it up. today they are talking about why the bust is so significant. >> abc 7 news reporter vic lee joins us in alameda with the details. >> reporter: the chp held a post mortem if you will on wednesday night's sideshow which happened at the port of oakland. they say they issued 23 citations, confiscated guns, impounded cars, and they say they've got the goods. hard evidence to make arrests. these are some of the dozen or so cars impounded by the chp from the big sideshow. this one towed to a pick and pull, was destroyed by fire. >> a stolen vehicle in the crowd was lit on fire while officers were moving into the crowd. >> reporter: the chp believes there may have been firearms inside which fueled the flames. officers singled out the driver. as you can see from sky 7 hd, it was a huge crowd of some 200

people here at the port of oakland. cars were doing doughnuts and other dangerous stunts with spectators just a few feet away. there was also a huge chp presence mobilized initially for another night of protests against the grand jury decision in ferguson. officers received a tip that a sideshow would occur later in the night. when it happened, the chp special response team rushed on to the port and sealed the highway. some in the crowd began throwing rocks and bottles. after hearing gunfire, the chp took action. >> the officers advanced into the crowd with weapons drawn, thoroughly and systematically detaining all parties present. >> reporter: a dozen drivers tried unsuccessfully to escape. a red van tried to make a run for it by smashing through a chain link fence. it got stuck on the tracks. people rushed out of the van, small children in tow. sky 7 wasn't the only chopper taking pictures. the chp also had theirs doing

the same thing. >> we interviewed everyone that was there. we know who was driving what cars. we will use the video from our aircraft to link that to put charges on at a later date. >> reporter: this is all that remains of wednesday's sideshow. but the chp says stay tuned. there are warrants and arrests to come. vic lee, abc 7 news. a chp motorcycle officer needed surgery for major injuries suffered after being hit by a driver in sunnyvale about 9:30 last night at the lawrence expressway and 101. the driver is suspected of running a red light. neither alcohol nor drugs are believed to be a factor in the accident. the chp shut down the expressway in both directions until right around midnight. san francisco city crews were called out to a water main break in bayview hunter's point this morning at industrial street. the water department began getting calls shortly after 3:00 a.m. the water was quickly turned off. still ahead on abc 7 news at

4:00, a big loss last night for the 49ers. followed by an unprecedented and controversial response from owner jed york. plus a holiday homecoming for a crew who spent five months at sea. new at 4:30, a dramatic rescue after two children were buried in the snow overnight.

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download the xfinity tv app today. perhaps you watched the 49ers played horribly last night, losing to the seahawks 19-3.

it was such a bad performance that 49ers owner jed york tweeted an unprecedented apology at the end of the game. it read thank you 49er faithful for coming out strong tonight. this performance wasn't acceptable. i apologize for that. the general manager is apologizing after this tweet from his daughter which said greg roman can take a hike. the 49ers don't want you no more. roman is the niners' offensive coordinator. that comment by the way has since been removed from twitter. coming up on abc 7 news at 5:00, reaction to jed york's tweet and what 49er fans have to say about his use of social media. more nfl news. ray rice won the appeal of his indefinite suspension that was imposed by the nfl. a former u.s. district judge heard the appeal earlier this month and decided the nfl did indeed overstep its authority when it modified the former ravens running back two game suspension and made it indefinite. they made that ruling aftercio were only thinking about one thing on this black friday,

getting game tickets. this morning the team released thousands of single game tickets for next season. dozens of fans lined up early at the at & t box office to get first crack at buying the best seats. money was no object for these fans. >> how much did you pay? >> about $550. but christmas presents to myself. >> i get the collectibles, the bobbleheads, all the time. if there's a bobblehead there, you will find me here. >> got to get them. fans are only able to buy single game tickets for the first three months of the season from april to june. individual game tickets for the rest of the season go on sale in february. a nevada judge has temporarily banned ubers' unlicensed operation state-wide there. the san francisco based ride share company says it's a victim of antiquated laws that never envisioned smartphones hailing transportation on demand. the attorney general says the multi billion dollar company deliberately broke the law to maximize profits as long as it

could. uber refused to seek required licenses. it was maintaining it's a technology company, not a motor carrier. the crew of the u.s. coast guard cutter stratten came home today after nearly five months at sea. >> this is the best part, coming home. >> since they left alameda in july, the 145 strong crew has been deployed to the arctic and central america. during the deployment they seized illegal drugs valued at more than $27.5 million and helped enforce search and rescue operations. crew members also visited isolated communities in alaska teaching water safety and giving out life jackets. today they were happy to be back on dry land. >> we are lucky enough to be home for the holidays and be with our families. it's a great payback. >> good to see everyone. surprise to my parents. i didn't think i was going to see them at all. been gone for awhile now. >> cute little girl there.

it's one of the coast guard's newest vessels, specially equipped to operate in extreme weather. not quite extreme early this morning but it was pretty foggy around the bay area today. we got a look at what early morning drivers saw on the bay bridge. the electronic signs warning them to slow down. >> take a look at the fog over the golden gate bridge. that's impressive. we shot this from our camera on mt. tam. it isn't the fog but rain op the way tonight. spencer christian is here with today's accuweather forecast. >> we do have rain on the way. we will have periods of rain for several days to come. here's a look at live doppler 7 hd. you can see most of the bay area right now is under quiet, calm and even mainly sunny conditions but clouds are certainly thicker in the north bay and there is moisture associated with those clouds, so maybe light rain hitting the ground in some spots right now in the northernmost part of the viewing area. here's a live view looking out over san francisco, towards the west-north -- i beg your pardon, the east-northeast is what i

meant to say. we see just a few clouds in this shot. it's currently 60 degrees in san francisco. 61 at oakland and san jose. redwood city, 63. morgan hill, 69. 57 at half moon bay. here's another view of mainly clear skies looking southward and southeastward. we have more temperature readings. 58 in santa rosa. 62 in petaluma. mid 60s in fairfield, concord and livermore. looking from the golden gate bridge north, you can see clouds thickening up to our north. that's where the moisture is at the moment. these are the forecast features. rain will move north to south tonight with periods of rain both saturday and sunday, and this wet pattern continues through wednesday. here's the satellite image showing the approaching cold front that will bring us our wet weekend weather but it will be wet even beyond the weekend as we have a stronger storm brewing for next week so let's get right down to the forecast animation. starting 7:00 this evening, we will see showers spreading north to south and then by 10:00, we

will see showers moving south of the golden gate through san francisco and then overnight into about 3:00 a.m., more widespread rainfall, not just in the north bay, and some of it could be locally heavy. by about 12:00 noon tomorrow, we will see sort of widely scattered pockets of rain and showers, looking like it's breaking up but it's not ending. 8:00 tomorrow night, more waves of rain beginning to push in off the ocean. this wet pattern continues into sunday morning. round two sunday morning and we will see even steadier rain at times sunday morning. let's look ahead at the rainfall projections. by sunday evening, 11:00, north bay mountains may have received up to about two and a half inches of rain. most lower elevations, anywhere from an inch to inch and a quarter. there's more to come. let's look at wind gusts which will be a factor. overnight tomorrow night into sunday morning, winds will intensify. by 6:00 sunday morning, we will see winds gusting above 25, even 30 miles per hour. later in the day sunday, gusts

up to 35 miles per hour and above. it will be windy, rainy and raw on sunday. in the sierra, winter weather advisory in effect until 7:00 sunday evening, six to 12 inches of new show above 6,000 feet. heaviest snow likely to fall tomorrow morning. overnight, rain stretching north and south. low temperatures ranging from upper 40s to low 50s. tomorrow's highs barely above 60, even in the inland locations. here's the accuweather seven-day forecast. wet and windy on sunday, cloudy with sprinkles on monday. soaking showers on tuesday. morning rain on wednesday and finally we start to dry out thursday and friday. this won't erase the rainfall deficit but it will certainly help. >> sounds great. thank you, spencer. be sure to join spencer this sunday for our special presentation of the pier 39 holiday tree lighting celebration. it airs at 6:30 sunday right here of course on abc 7. up next, the black friday phenomenon not just for the u.s. anymore. we will tell you where it's spreading to now.

new after 4:30, the trailer "star wars" fans have been waiting for. we have it. we will show you the entire 60 second preview coming up. it's 4:22. obviously a holiday for many. let's look live at the bay bridge toll plaza. lot of folks heading into san francisco, perhaps for a tree lighting ceremony or to do some shopping. you might want to invest in a fast track because those are the cars that are zipping right through. the other folks are backed up in the cash lanes.

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black friday isn't just for america anymore. stores in london are offering black friday deals. at some stores the crowds became chaotic. you can see the pushing and shoving at this store which is owned by walmart. police were forced to close some stores in order to restore order. they arrested at least two people, including one suspected of assault. one woman was even injured by a

falling television. san leandro police are teaming up with b.a.r.t. to escort holiday shoppers in the bay area. members of the department's explorer program are at the bay fair b.a.r.t. station and shopping center. they will be out there until 7:00 making sure shoppers get to their cars, their stores and back to b.a.r.t. safely. san leandro pd also increasing patrols around other malls and neighborhoods throughout the city. some good news for shoppers in oakland this year. you will be able to park for free on saturdays between now and new year's day. free parking is being offered at street meters and eight city-owned parking lots and garages. parking is free but the time limits will still be enforced. parking will also be free tomorrow for the city's plaid friday program encouraging people to shop locally. now to a holiday tradition that probably rings a bell. the salvation army needs your help to keep its red kettle campaign going. the charitable organization is in need of bell ringers and is asking for volunteers to donate their time and help collect money for the less fortunate.

each year the salvation army raises money to support services in the community including feeding the hungry. the holiday tradition started at san francisco's ferry building over 100 years ago. just ahead, a protest just getting under way right now in san francisco. a look at what's planned and how it could affect you if you are in the city tonight. plus, other protesters out in force across the country today. why some black friday shoppers were stopped in their tracks. a dramatic rescue after two children were buried in the snow over

demonstrators plan to march down market street in san francisco in solidarity with other ferguson protests that have been happening across the country today. they plan to meet in half an hour. abc 7 news reporter lillian kim is live at justin herman plaza with the latest. >> reporter: it's unclear how many people will be gathering tonight but they plan to march for several hours. merchants are a bit concerned hoping things won't get violent. union square is ready for macy's 25th annual great tree lighting. the 83 foot tall tree has 1100 ornaments and 33,000 lights. >> this is our gift to the city of san francisco. a wonderful place that people can come and kick off the holidays, celebrate the christmas season. >> reporter: but downtown

merchants are worried that the festive atmosphere will be overshadowed by the protest planned on market street. ferguson protesters have already disrupted black friday shopping elsewhere. dozens of people entered a walmart outside st. louis chanting in honor of michael brown. >> i don't have anything against people who are protesting. >> reporter: evelyn is all for people protesting but she plans to take precautions. >> we will stay open. then we will see how the crowd looks and we will close the doors. anything that's not peaceful. >> reporter: oasis grill may close early. the manager says any vandalism to the restaurant would be a huge setback. >> i saw what they do to the businesses and it's not okay. >> reporter: there is a heavy police presence in the area here to accommodate black friday crowds but some are optimistic the protests won't get too crazy, hoping it will just be like any other protest on any given day.

>> we see protests all the time. it's market street. there is always somebody upset with something. it's just another day. >> reporter: that is the hope, anyway. the demonstration is set to begin at 5:00 p.m. and expected to go on well into the evening. live in san francisco, lillian kim, abc 7 news. >> we will keep an eye on that. earlier today in ferguson where the shooting occurred, at least 200 protesters gathered at a mall. several stores lowered their security doors or locked their entrances as protesters chanted stop shopping and join the movement. the protest prompted authorities to close that mall for about an hour. >> in new york, people rallied outside macy's herald square. there were several arrests. no word on the final number. police in austin, texas say a gunman who terrorized the texas state capitol overnight with a shooting rampage is dead. the suspect has been identified

as 49-year-old larry steven macwilliams, a resident of texas,. >> reporter: downtown austin under fire. a lone gunman, 49-year-old larry mcwilliams, on a ten-minute shooting rampage just after 2:00 a.m. friday. taking aim at the federal courthouse, the mexican consulate where police say he started a fire, and then attacking police headquarters. mcwilliams finally going down when a mounted patrol officer returned fire. >> as he held two horses with one hand, he discharged one round. that would be one heck of a shot. >> reporter: it's not known if the officer's bullet killed the gunman or if he took his own life, but seconds later, the bomb squad was activated. police realized mcwilliams was wearing a vest and found suspicious cylinders inside his car. >> you have to think about ieds and possible explosive devices. >> reporter: both the shooter and vehicle were cleared.

investigators who have searched his home believe he acted alone. >> on thanksgiving friday, this weekend i give thanks that no one but the suspect is injured or deceased. >> reporter: police are still investigating the motive but the police chief did speculate with the federal building and mexican consulate targeted, this may be tied to the national debate right now over immigration reform. abc news, los angeles. thousands of people in the northeast are still without power tonight. in new hampshire, power's been out since a nor'easter toppled trees and ripped down power lines on wednesday. kind of a rough thanksgiving. more than 200,000 people lost power. some of it has been restored but it could take days to get the lights back on for everybody. in new york, two kids were rescued after they were trapped in a snow bank. this is iphone video of the scene. the boys were playing in a parking lot when a snow plow went by and buried them in a ton of snow. both boys are doing fine today.

one of the world's largest volcanos erupts in southern japan canceling dozens of flights. for the first time in 22 years, it spewed out chunks of molten rock, lava and smoke. plumes of ash shot more than half a mile into the air. 66 flights from the nearest city were canceled. the volcano began showing signs of life in late august with earthquakes and other seismic activity. still ahead, the first peek at the new "star wars" movie. we have the entire trailer for you coming up. plus the hot holiday toys of the season and why they are likely no longer be a runaway hit again. i'm spencer christian. looking out over san francisco, quiet weather at the moment. even some blue sky. but clouds and rain are on the way and so is my accuweather forecast. 4:34 now. here's a live look at traffic in emeryville. this is 80 east on the right-hand side heading toward berkeley and it's backed up in

both directions. friday afternoon, everybody's trying to get to a mall somewhere, it seems. they are going pretty slowly out there. ( siren wails ) ( pop music playing ) ♪ when you're ready ♪ ready, ready, ready ♪ come and get it ♪ get it, get it ♪ when you're ready, come and get it ♪ ♪ na na na na ♪ na na na na na na na ♪ ♪ when you're ready, come and get it ♪ ♪ na na na na...

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the very first trailer for "star wars episode 7, the force awakens" hit theaters today. >> you don't have to actually go to the movies to see it because we have it right here. >> there has been an awakening. have you felt it?

♪ >> the dark side. and the light. ♪

>> i forgot for a moment we were doing a newscast. i was waiting for the movie to begin. >> that music always gives me chills. it's just so exciting. >> good stuff. it is. it hooks you in. the movie will open next december. you like the new sabre? the force awakens is 30 years after the return of the jedi. >> it includes harrison ford, mark hamel and carrie fisher as well as lots of new faces. >> the force is with spencer christian and the rain is coming. >> the rain is indeed coming. as i look out this way towards the western sky, you can see the clouds becoming darker, thicker and lower. it's on its way. live doppler 7 hd showing you its view of the clouds up in the north bay and moisture as well drifting in off the ocean. no doubt some of this is hitting the ground in some spots now.

looks like it may be sprinkling or raining up in cloverdale at the moment. the rain will move from north to south during the overnight hours. the national weather picture for tomorrow shows mainly sunny and dry conditions from coast to coast except snow up in parts of montana and idaho and some rain of course along the northern and central pacific coast. that includes northern california where we are. here's a look at the national -- the state-wide weather picture for tomorrow. it will be raining over most of the northern half of the state with snow in the central sierra. meanwhile it will be sunny and mild down south. look for highs of 71 in los angeles. 84, palm springs. 93 in fresno. only 55 in yosemite. 45 in tahoe. here in the bay area, we will have cloudy skies with periods of rain and showers tomorrow. there could be some locally heavy downpours from time to time but we also may see some sunny breaks from time to time tomorrow. high temperatures right around or just above 60 degrees and here's the accuweather seven-day forecast. it will be wet and windy and raw on sunday.

cloudy on monday with sprinkles and soaking showers move through on tuesday. wednesday we will see some morning in the rain -- some rain in the morning, some morning in the rain perhaps, too, but we will dry out on thursday and friday. it's been a long week. i haven't recovered from all that turkey yesterday. >> i know. we are just giddy about the rain, too. >> the triptophan is still kicking in. still ahead, a stunning light display down under. just how many lights? you will be surprised. plus, frames, lenses, protective coatings for prescription eyeglasses can all add up, really expensive. 7 on your side's michael finney has teamed up with consumer reports to find you ways to save money without sacrificing fashion. female announcer: through thanksgiving weekend get three years interest-free financing and save up to $400 on beautyrest and posturepedic. even get three years interest-free financing on serta icomfort and tempur-pedic. mattress price wars ends sunday, at sleep train.

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strung up at the shopping center. that's about 75 miles of multi-colored l.e.d. lights. guy's a lawyer. david richards set the lights up with the help of volunteers and powered them with electricity donated by a local power company. he created the display to help raise money for s.i.d.s., sudden infant death syndrome. remember the days when a single toy whipped everyone into a holiday frenzy? things have changed over the years as electronics and gaming rank higher on kids' wish lists and toy sales have slipped. we take a look at some of the items aiming to bring back the joy to toy stores this season. >> reporter: which of these toys will be the single runaway hit of the season? likely none of them. >> although there is some key trends that we're seeing, there is not one hot toy that we can say, you know, we see emerging this year or coming out in the next couple of years. >> reporter: toy sales slipped by 1% last year as tablets and smartphones took spots on kids'

wish lists and the holiday season again lacked the frenzy of one must-have item. the best bet to buoy business this year, a trend that just toppled barbie on the national retail federation's list of most wanted toys for girls. toy expert elizabeth werner says kids don't want to let "frozen" go. >> they are looking for anna and elsa and the music is a rocket ship as well. anything with the music built in from the dolls to costuming, kids are looking for. >> reporter: other characters on hot lists, transformers, even resurgent '90s nostalgia like the teenaged mutant ninja turtles and elmo. >> we are seeing a huge amount of classics that are re-emerging. lots of toys that everyone remembers. and just sort of that back to basic playtime that inspires creativity and imagination. >> reporter: jewelry is big for girls and an old favorite tops the list of the must-haves for

boys. leggoes. >> what's nice about a project like this, everyone can sit together and work as a family and that's the best quality bonding time and at the holidays, when a great idea. >> reporter: whether high or low tech, experts say not to wait around for deals on coveted toys. missing out on a smiling face on christmas morning, that's just too costly. >> the day after thanksgiving has its ups and downs for charitable agencies like st. anthony's. it's the day when it collects some of its biggest food donations. they come from supermarkets that overstocked on turkeys and other items for the holiday. that's a plus. the challenge is there is also a drop-off in volunteers because people are turning their attention to shopping. st. anthony's needs 80 volunteers daily to prepare and hand out all the meals. we are in the final stretch of our give where you live food drive. we are raising money for the end of this month to help bay area food banks this holiday season. give where you live very easy. all you have to do is text the

word feed to 80077 to make a $10 donation. checking healthy living news, canada has now launched a parallel ebola vaccine study on the heels of u.s. doctors announcing their experimental vaccine is showing promise. the u.s. vaccine triggered signs of immune protection in all 20 volunteers involved in phase one of the clinical trial. the vaccine is designed to spur the immune system's production of anti-ebola antibodies and it appears to have done that. doctors say they will now move to phase two on an accelerated schedule. the number of american adults who smoke cigarettes has dropped to a new low. the centers for disease control and prevention say less than 18% of americans are lighting up each day. that's about 42 million people. cigarette smoking is still the leading cause of preventible death and disease in the united states. consumer reports has partnered exclusively with 7 on your side for a report on ways to save money on eye glasses. michael finney has the details.

>> the cost of frames, lenses and protective coatings for eye glasses can really add up. there are ways to save up to 40% without sacrificing fashion. look what's coming down the catwalk at this designer show. eye glasses. they are high fashion and can come at a high price. but can you spot the difference between a $280 designer frame and this $160 look-alike? >> prices for glasses are all over the map. you might have two pairs of glasses and they look the same, the quality is pretty much the same, but they are sold at vastly different prices. one of the reasons for that is that a handful of companies are making most of the frames and lenses out there. >> exotica makes frames for chanel and prada but also pearl vision and target optical at a fraction of the cost. check online stores that make their own frames for less.

you can find single vision glasses designed in house for $95. upload a photo to virtually try on the frames or request up to five pairs to try at home for five days free of charge. zinni optical offers frames for under $30 with lenses, they can be under $100. consumer reports says buying online isn't for everyone. >> it may not work if you have a complicated prescription and if you need to get your glasses adjusted, you are probably out of luck. >> reporter: a good strategy, buy the frames online and lenses in a discount store. walmart vision center will fill any frames you bring in for $10 plus the cost of the prescription. costco will do the same for $18. both stores offer low cost frames worth checking out. consumer reports says if you are ordering glasses online, ask your eye doctor for a copy of your prescription and make sure she includes the distance between the center of your pupils.

that's important to make sure your lenses are made correctly. michael finney, 7 on your side. still to come on abc 7 news at 4:00, big sign that christmas is right around the corner. the opening of the christmas tree lots. but there is one change this year. it might cost you more money. coming up at 5:00, slow wifi networks. 7 on your side's michael finney pairs up exclusively with consumer reports to find the best wifi for your home. the elevator of the future is almost here. looks a little like something out of willie wonka and the chocolate factory.

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not everybody was in a rush to find a black friday special at the mall today. some were heading out to find a christmas tree. >> trees were unloaded at delancey's christmas tree lot in san francisco. for some, it's a tradition to cut down a fresh tree in the mountains. abc 7 news reporter david louie is live at a church tree t in san jose to look at a fun family

event away from the mall. >> reporter: it does look like christmas, doesn't it? with rain in the forecast for the next few days, it seems like an ideal day to go out looking for a christmas tree, and it's time for families to gather everyone together to find that perfect tree. >> what about this one? >> reporter: the shopping under way here is for the perfect tree. they are big, they're small and every size in between. >> big and fluffy. that's all we look for. big and fluffy. >> reporter: hundreds of families have made the trek into the santa cruz mountains, some after and some instead of black friday madness. >> my daughter went to the mall last night at 11:00 at night and got home at 3:00 in the morning but there's no way i'm going to be there today. it's just too crazy. this is so much more fun. >> reporter: the search isn't for the best bargain but for the best tree, because it's a flat $50 for any size. this one's 10 1/2 feet tall and the young family from campbell was struggling to get it on to their truck. >> we do a little prayer for it

before we cut it down every year. >> reporter: did it call out to you? >> it did. this is the first one we found. >> reporter: however, others head to the corner tree lot. it's a fund-raiser for st. christopher church in san jose. the trees are just now starting to arrive from oregon where there is a shortage of douglas fir so the price is going up about $2. oregon growers say demand is higher this year. still, an average size precut tree can be $20 cheaper than cutting one at a tree farm. what do you think of your new tree? >> it was awesome. >> reporter: awesome? it's pretty tall, isn't it? >> yep. >> reporter: taller than you are. >> yep. >> reporter: best available research indicates real trees outsell artificial ones 2:1 but more families are weighing environmental merits of both. prelit artificial trees can cost from $150 to $1200 but last several years. >> cutting down these trees, we will be using something again and again over and over, of course we have concerns about creating more waste by buying something like this as opposed

to getting a natural tree year in and year out. it's a debate we have and we haven't made a final decision yet. >> reporter: whatever the choice, the holiday spirit is alive. ♪ we wish you a merry christmas we wish you a merry christmas ♪ >> reporter: david louie, abc 7 news. >> that was bigger than the car. >> the kids were adorable. the tree was massive. san francisco is gearing up for an evening of magic. >> macy's 25th annual great tree lighting ceremony will get under way tonight in union square. the tree is 83 feet tall and reusable. it will be covered with more than 33,000 lights and 1100 ornaments. if you want to head out, festivities begin at 6:00. in one hour. in the south bay, san jose's 35th annual tree lighting at christmas in the park set to begin in just a couple of hours. this is video from last year's spectacular. you haven't missed a thing. this is last year. tonight's ceremony begins at

6:00 at plaza de caesar chavez park. thank you so much for joining us for abc 7 news at 4:00. i'm ama daetz. >> i'm larry beil. abc 7 news at 5:00 begins right now. [ chanting ] using bike locks and metal chains, protesters shut down a critical segment of b.a.r.t. for hours. stranding passengers all over the bay area. >> why protesters say this ferguson demonstration is different from all the others. also ahead, the highway patrol on that huge sideshow this week. what they found inside the cars and why there could be lots of arrests this time. i'm abc 7 meteorologist drew tuma. tracking rounds of rain on the way over several days. the timing with the accuweather seven day forecast. sgloo. i was taking b.a.r.t. to get on amtrak to ride to sacramento

so i think i missed a train at this point. >> it took just over a dozen protesters to cripple b.a.r.t. service for hours today. they managed to chain themselves together and then to two b.a.r.t. trains. >> protests at b.a.r.t. are over, though another is just beginning. good evening. i'm ama daetz. >> i'm larry beil. dan and cheryl have the evening off. demonstrators gathering as we speak for a protest in san francisco tonight. this is a live picture of justin herman plaza. they plan to march down market street in solidarity with other ferguson protesters that have been happening or protests, i should say, that have been happening across the country today. merchants are taking precautions just in case things turn violent. there is already a heavy police presence in the area to accommodate the black friday crowds. as for b.a.r.t., trains are back up and running after trans-bay service was shut down for awhile today. protesters were demonstrating against this week's grand jury decision not to indict police officer darren wilson in the shooting death of michael brown

in ferguson, missouri. we have team coverage for you tonight. abc 7 news reporter lyanne melendez is in san francisco but we will start with laura anthony at the west oakland b.a.r.t. station. laura? >> reporter: it's not clear whether the demonstrators here rode into the station from another station or whether they walked up the platform. in any case, two different groups chained themselves to two different trains on both sides of the platform and they managed to disrupt service around the bay area for several hours. a relatively small yet highly organized group of demonstrators managed to shut down a good portion of the b.a.r.t. system this black friday. they did it in a matter of minutes. two teams of black-clad demonstrators armed with