An anti-Trump protester climbed Washington DC's Frederick Douglass Bridge for the second time in four years on Friday, leading to a massive traffic jam before his arrest. Guido Reichstadter, who had previously been detained in 2022 for sleeping on the bridge to protest the repeal of Roe v Wade, ascended the structure again in the early afternoon.
Protest Details
Both lanes of the bridge were closed by 3:30pm as Reichstadter attempted to unfurl a banner and set up a tent at the 168-foot peak. He told reporters he was protesting on behalf of his two children against Donald Trump, the war in Iran, and artificial intelligence, which he described as an 'existential threat' to humanity.
Statement on Social Media
In a post on X, Reichstadter wrote: 'I'm calling on the people of the United States to bring an immediate end to the Trump regime's illegal war on Iran... I also want to urgently warn... of the imminent danger... of crossing a point of no return towards the development of artificial intelligence.' He called for a permanent ban on AI development and urged nonviolent action globally.
Reichstadter was reportedly in tears while speaking to journalists. Three outbound lanes and one inbound lane reopened by 8pm Friday, but the closure caused significant traffic, especially as the Washington Nationals had a home game that evening.
Background and Advocacy
Reichstadter's social media account features support for left-wing and anti-AI views, including retweets of Senator Bernie Sanders' crusade against AI data centers. He co-founded the advocacy group Stop AI to lobby for AI regulation. Washington police confirmed negotiators were at the scene.
