Washington DC’s Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge was closed during Friday evening’s rush-hour after a 45-year-old protester climbed one of its steel arches and unfurled a large banner, prompting a major police response.
Footage from the scene showed the individual attaching a long strip of fabric high on the structure before setting up a tent on the arch, reports Al Jazeera.
Police negotiators were deployed and worked to resolve the situation, while DC Fire and EMS confirmed they carried out a high-angle rescue operation on the bridge.
MPD is on the scene of a barricade situation involving a subject who walked on top of the Fredrick Douglass Memorial Bridge. MPD’s negotiators are on the scene. Please avoid the area as we work to resolve the incident.
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) May 1, 2026
Authorities also added the same man previously scaled the bridge in June 2022, when he protested against the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade. On that occasion, he remained on the structure for around 28 hours, causing extended closures.
Speaking to News4’s Jackie Bensen via Zoom on Friday evening, the protester became emotional as he explained his motivations. He is once again demonstrating against Donald Trump, what he called the “existential” threat posed by uncontrolled development of AI and the war in Iran.
A father of two, he said his actions are driven by concern for his children and future generations.
All lanes of the bridge were initially closed from around 3:30pm. By before 8pm, three outbound lanes and one inbound lane had reopened, although police urged the public to avoid the area as the operation continued.
The disruption also affected traffic near Nationals Park, where the Washington Nationals were due to begin their game at 6:45pm.
Police continued to secure the site while negotiators attempted to bring the protest to a safe conclusion. Officials reiterated warnings for commuters to steer clear of the area during the ongoing response.
The protester also told News4 that during his previous demonstration he was able to sleep on the bridge and that he had brought additional phone batteries this time.
