SAN FRANCISCO --

Vandals damaged vending machines at BART's Glen Park Station in San Francisco, hours after at least two dozen people were arrested during a protest at the Powell Street Station, officials said Friday.

About eight to 12 men dressed in black hoodies used hammers to smash fare gates, eight Clipper Card readers and ticket vending machines at the Glen Park Station about 9:45 p.m. Thursday, said BART spokeswoman Luna Salaver.

The vandals tore lights off a flower booth and spray-painted "Osca" in black on train schedule signs, apparently in reference to the fatal BART police shooting of Oscar Grant in 2009, and "Charles Hill" in white letters on the ground of the station's plaza, Salaver said.

The group then left the station. No arrests were made.

BART believes the incident was linked to the protest hours earlier at the Powell Street Station downtown, the most recent in a string of demonstrations against the transit agency that began after the fatal police shooting of Hill on July 3 at the Civic Center Station.

Hill, 45, was allegedly winding up to throw a knife at a police officer when the officer shot him to death.

BART thinks the vandalism was linked to the Powell Street Station protest because of "the timing of the destruction ... the words spray-painted on BART property and the fact that what these individuals were wearing matched the description" of protesters' clothing, Salaver said.

- Henry K. Lee