The clock hit 5:55p.m., while a sea of people raise pillows with simultaneous roars of excitement that echo around the Embarcadero. At 6:00p.m., the Ferry Building clock rings and pillows start flying and feathers consume the air. The annual pillow fight has begun.

Jenny Lin, 18, biology physiology major, said, "It's really fun because everyone is fighting, in a nice way and we're just having a good time," as she described her first time participating in the fight.

Justin Herman Plaza was filled with what can be projected as a couple thousand people. Anyone with a pillow was considered fair game when it came to swinging and hitting.

According to pillowfightinfo.com, the site that created the event four years ago, there are specific rules that everyone must follow in order to have a safe and pain free experience.
The rules are:
1. Tell everyone you know about the pillow fight
2. Tell everyone you know about the pillow fight
3. Wait for the ferry building clock to strike 6:00p.m.
4. Don't hit anyone without a pillow (unless they want it)
5. Don't hit anyone with a camera
6. Have fun!!!

Jennifer Brothers,18,interior design major, described her first time at the "fight" as a, "mosh pit with pillows," and liked how there was a limited area where people could partake in the action or stand by to take a breather.

The middle of the crowd was where all the "fighting" took place. Many hit others from the top down and from the sides. Others went for the sneak attack of running up behind someone, hitting them and then fleeing from the scene.

When it came to swinging techniques, Liz Baker, 18, undeclared, said, "You have to double attack with a huge team to get someone good." Baker also advised getting behind someone's shoulders and swinging together to create a stronger "pillow throwing force".

While some remained inside the crowd for the majority of the time, others chose to eat at the food court of the Embarcadero Shopping Center, as a way to refuel.

"I'm probably going to take a break and get sandwich and then jump back in," said Tim Clark, 19, recreational and leisure studies major, as he discussed his break plans during the event.

"That's just how you have to do it."

The huge pillow fight lasted over three hours.