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Guido Reichstadter Scales Frederick Douglass Bridge, South Capitol Reopens

5/3/2026

Center

Guido Reichstadter Scales Bridge

Guido Reichstadter, who occupied the bridge in 2022, returned to scale the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on May 1 2026.
Police responded as Guido Reichstadter climbed onto the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., prompting negotiators and a rescue.
Metropolitan Police Department urged drivers to avoid South Capitol Street while negotiators worked on barricade.
South Capitol Street reopened with lanes and inbound lane, and DDOT said no permanent fix.

Left

Reichstadter Scales Bridge

Guido Reichstadter scaled the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge to condemn the war in Iran and unchecked artificial intelligence.
Metropolitan Police Department warned drivers to avoid the bridge while negotiators worked to resolve the barricade.
Reichstadter told Al Jazeera he occupied the bridge to protest mass murder and demand nonviolence.
Democrats' War Powers Resolutions were blocked, so he wore a “NO WAR” shirt and banner.

History

Historical Context

During April 1968 Columbia University students occupied Hamilton Hall and other buildings, prompting the NYPD to storm the campus on April 30 and force the university to drop its IDA affiliation and cancel a segregated gym plan. The 2026 Douglass Memorial Bridge climb by Guido Reichstadter invoked that legacy; the 1968 protests saw more than 700 arrests, illustrating how high-visibility actions can still shape policy debates.

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Guido Reichstadter Scales Bridge

Guido Reichstadter, who occupied the bridge in 2022, returned to scale the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on May 1 2026.
Police responded as Guido Reichstadter climbed onto the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., prompting negotiators and a rescue.
Metropolitan Police Department urged drivers to avoid South Capitol Street while negotiators worked on barricade.
South Capitol Street reopened with lanes and inbound lane, and DDOT said no permanent fix.

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