WASHINGTON, D.C. — Florida-based activist Guido Reichstadter ended a five-day protest atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., on the morning of May 6, 2026, when emergency personnel removed him and wheeled him to an ambulance. Reichstadter had climbed onto one of the bridge's arches on May 1, 2026, to protest artificial intelligence and the war in Iran.

During the five days he spent on the structure, Reichstadter pitched a tent atop one of the arches and posted photos from the location on his X account. His presence on the bridge caused periodic traffic jams as Washington police closed lanes and negotiated with him.

On Tuesday, Reichstadter announced on X that he would be coming down and expected to be arrested. "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," Reichstadter wrote.

Washington police did not immediately respond to questions asking whether Reichstadter would be charged or what those charges might be. It was not clear as of May 6, 2026, whether any charges would be filed.

Reichstadter staged a similar protest atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in 2022, that time against a Supreme Court decision. The 2026 demonstration lasted five days before authorities intervened, with emergency personnel ultimately transporting him by ambulance after removing him from the arch.