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Protester Guido Reichstadter Ends Four-Day Stand on Frederick Douglass Bridge
Activist Guido Reichstadter, who climbed Washington, D.C.'s Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on Friday to protest the U.S. war in Iran and artificial intelligence development, stated he would leave soon but remained atop the structure as of Monday morning. His action caused traffic disruptions with partial lane closures on the bridge.
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C. U.S. war in Iran and artificial intelligence. Reichstadter, a 45-year-old father of two from Florida, scaled the 168-foot arch on May 1, hanging a black banner and setting up a tent. He posted on X that day, announcing his occupation and calling for an end to what he described as the Trump administration's illegal war on Iran through mass nonviolent action.
As of Monday morning, Reichstadter remained on the bridge, sharing a photo of the sunrise and reiterating his calls to end the wars and stop AI. Late Sunday, he posted on X that he would soon leave, thanking supporters and emphasizing the power of collective non-cooperation.
“I will soon be leaving the bridge. I want to give heartfelt thanks for all the outpouring of support. " — Guido Reichstadter, May 3, 2026 (X post). The protest disrupted traffic on the bridge, which connects South Capitol Street over the Anacostia River. City transportation officials reported two northbound lanes blocked Monday morning, with one northbound lane and all outbound lanes open. They advised drivers to seek alternate routes and avoid the area. Metropolitan Police Department negotiators have been at the scene since Friday, working to urge Reichstadter to descend. The department stated on X that the barricade was ongoing and negotiations continued to resolve the incident.”
Reichstadter described his action as a response to the war in Iran, which began more than two months ago. In posts, he referenced the bombing of a girls' school in Iran on February 28, stating it prompted his climb. He also protested against artificial intelligence, co-founding Stop AI, a group aimed at disrupting development by companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and xAI.
Reichstadter said he has been arrested multiple times in anti-AI actions. Sources noted Reichstadter's history of protests, including climbing the same bridge in 2022 after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, where he stayed for more than 24 hours. He also chained himself to a fence outside the Supreme Court that year.
