{"id":48034,"date":"2026-05-04T11:25:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T18:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=48034"},"modified":"2026-05-04T11:25:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T18:25:20","slug":"i-refuse-to-be-complicit-man-scales-168-foot-bridge-in-dc-demanding-end-to-iran-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/i-refuse-to-be-complicit-man-scales-168-foot-bridge-in-dc-demanding-end-to-iran-war\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I Refuse to Be Complicit\u2019: Man Scales 168-Foot Bridge in DC Demanding End to Iran War"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Guido<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Guido Reichstadter scaled the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC on Friday, May 1, 2026 in order to protest the Iran War started by the President Donald Trump just over two months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0(Photo: bystander video\/screenshot\/via Al-Jazeera)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m at the top of this bridge,\u201d says Guido Reichstadter, \u201cbecause the government of the United States is engaged in acts of mass murder in my name.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jon Queally<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 02, 2026 (CommonDreams.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty-five-year-old social justice<\/a> activist named Guido Reichstadter, on Saturday morning, was still perched atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington<\/a>, DC, after first scaling the structure Friday afternoon in protest<\/a> against President Donald Trump\u2019s disastrous war against Iran, now in its third month, and the rapid and unregulated spread of artificial intelligence<\/a> technology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Reichstadter, who described himself as the father of two children<\/a> with master\u2019s degrees in both math and physics, said in a video posted to social media<\/a> on Friday: \u201cHi, my name is Guido Reichstadter, and I\u2019m currently occupying the top of the Frederick Douglass memorial bridge in Washington, DC.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RECOMMENDED…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lego<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The World Is Proud of You, Guido\u2019: American Peace Activist Honored in Iranian Lego Video<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Western<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Western Media Called Out for \u2018Misleading\u2019 Portrayal of Iranians Defending Infrastructure as \u2018Human Shields\u2019<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m calling on the people of the United States<\/a>,\u201d he continued, \u201cto bring an immediate end to the Trump regime\u2019s illegal war on Iran and the removal of the regime\u2019s power through mass nonviolent direct action and non-cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI woke up on February 28th, and I found that hundreds of school children had been blown apart. I think there are many millions of Americans who reject the war in principle, but whose actions have not yet been sufficient to bring it to an end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a separate video, he explained he was at the top of the bridge, which rises approximately 168 feet above the Anacostia River at its highest point, \u201cbecause the government of the United States is engaged in acts of mass murder in my name. And I refuse to be complicit in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While bridge traffic in both directions was closed at times on Friday and overnight, the bridge is reportedly open to traffic Saturday morning, though with some lane restrictions, as law enforcement said a \u201cbarricade situation\u201d with the protester continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reichstadter, who has staged high-profile\u00a0protests<\/a>\u00a0in the past, spoke to Al-Jazeera via video stream on Friday to explain his actions and call for an end to the war that he says\u2014and tens of millions of other Americans agree, according to polling\u2014is a colossal failure by the\u00a0Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

A 45-year old man is occupying the top of Washington\u2019s Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge to protest the war on Iran.

Guido Reichstadter spoke to Al Jazeera from atop the structure – here's what he had to say. pic.twitter.com\/YzHghEoS8m<\/a><\/p>— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 2, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>