A suspicious backpack was found near San Francisco’s federal courthouse building this afternoon after someone approached a U.S. marshal, made anti-government statements and said the backpack had explosives inside, a police spokesman said.

The package was reported at 12:51 p.m. on Golden Gate Avenue just west of Larkin Street, San Francisco police Lt. Troy Dangerfield said.

An unidentified male approached the marshal, pointed to the backpack, and said it had an explosive device in it, Dangerfield said.

The male left the scene and the marshal called 911, he said.

The Police Department’s bomb squad responded and is investigating the backpack, according to Dangerfield.

Several streets are closed in the Civic Center area, including Golden Gate Avenue between Van Ness Avenue and Hyde Street, Polk Street between McAllister and Turk streets, and Larkin Street between McAllister and Turk streets.

People in the state and federal buildings on each side of Golden Gate Avenue between Polk and Larkin streets are being asked to avoid exiting the buildings on the Golden Gate Avenue side.

The male who allegedly made the anti-government statements and said explosives were in the backpack had not been found as of 2:30 p.m., Dangerfield said.