Frederick Douglass bridge protester climbs down after five days in the sky

Published May 6, 2026 10:52am ET | Updated May 6, 2026 2:21pm ET



The anti-Trump protester who stayed on top of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington for five days climbed down from the 170-foot arch Wednesday morning.

Guido Reichstadter, an activist from Florida, scaled the structure on Friday to protest the Iran war, President Donald Trump, and artificial intelligence. He frequently documented his dayslong protest on social media.

By Tuesday night, Reichstadter said he would come down after his water supply “ran out” on Sunday.

“I’ll probably be going to jail for a while when I get down,” he posted on X. “I’ll be handing off this account and hopefully we can stay in touch.”

In a statement to the Washington Examiner, the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed he was charged with three offenses following his reported descent.

“He has come down off the bridge safely,” an MPD spokesperson responded. “He has been charged with (1) Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding (2) Unlawful Entry and (3) Fail to Obey Officer. The barricade situation has concluded.”

Reichstadter climbed the same bridge in June 2022 after the Supreme Court struck down federal abortion protections by overturning Roe v. Wade. That protest lasted 28 hours.

“I hope that this action has offered something to motivate and inspire you, and that it can serve as fuel for greater commitment and action in the cause of peace and in the fight for our future,” the protester said Tuesday. He ended the message with a call to action: “End the Wars! Stop AI! Free DC!”

The entire bridge was closed for about 30 minutes on Wednesday as authorities were getting Reichstadter down to the ground.

The MPD has been monitoring the situation since Reichstadter climbed onto the bridge, which spans the Anacostia River.

PROTESTER WHO HAS BEEN ON FREDERICK DOUGLASS BRIDGE FOR FOUR DAYS TO COME DOWN ‘SOON’

In a Tuesday evening update, MPD personnel said the “barricade situation” blocking some traffic on the bridge remained in place while negotiators tried to reason with Reichstadter to come down. Despite the blockage, all lanes of the bridge were open to vehicle traffic during this time, according to the department.

As of Wednesday morning, neither the MPD nor Reichstadter provided follow-up messages on social media.