A bridge too far? Not for these protesters
DENVER — Honks and beeps rang out for hours as drivers crossed under the Highlands Bridge on I-25 Jan. 31.
There wasn’t an accident on the highway, and there wasn’t much traffic either.
Packed across the length of the bridge, though, hundreds of protesters — many of them wearing costumes — held signs, waved at cars and danced.
These protesters, who’ve dubbed themselves the Colorado Bridge Trolls, are taking to overpasses throughout the Denver metro area to speak out against President Donald Trump’s administration — all while promoting “joyful resistance.”
“Protests so far this year are bringing out a lot of people. Minneapolis has been such a turning point and people are starting to see that Trump’s threats are serious,” said Sarah Huston, who has protested with the Colorado Bridge Trolls since last February.
“This is my 84th protest. I’m going to protest my butt off,” she said.
Last Saturday’s protest came a day after nationwide anti-ICE demonstrations Jan. 30 that saw businesses close, students walk out of school and thousands of people take to the streets in response to the federal government's immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis.
Lori, a co-founder of the Trolls, felt frustrated with the administration and wanted a way to protest that felt safe and comfortable for women. Lori spoke on the condition that her last name be withheld due to fear of retaliation at work for her political views.
She didn’t feel safe participating in large rallies and marches because of the overwhelming crowds, but she still wanted her voice to be heard by as many people as possible.
This led to the idea to protest on bridges throughout Denver in front of thousands of commuters.
To Lori, protesting on a bridge minimized the risk of retaliation while still reaching a wide audience.
“My colleague Crystal and I would go out and protest two to three times a week and just try to build a following organically,” Lori said.
Protests on bridges and overpasses have become a fixture during the second Trump administration. And these “hyperlocal and highly visible” protests often have grassroots origins, The Guardian reported.
The Trolls group started posting about its bridge demonstrations on social media platforms last spring, and slowly the protests garnered attention. As many as 400 people have turned up for the two-hour events.
The group switches out its signs depending on the news of the day.
“We're living in chaos and you wake up every morning and there's at least one thing happening, if not 10, that are protestable,” Lori said. “We usually choose two messages. We don't want to overwhelm traffic.”
Saturday’s protest focused on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Anti-ICE signs and posters hung over the Highlands Bridge on Saturday as protestors danced and cheered. Several signs also called for the release of the Epstein files, which the Bridge Trolls have called for since the group’s inception.
“This administration is ridiculous. We need to be as ridiculous as we can be too,” Lori said, referring to the ’80s Gumby costume she often wears during protests.
Protesters in the group normalized costuming at the gatherings originally for anonymity and fun. Now, it's a staple at the bridge protests.
“It’s safe, it’s comfortable and it feels good to have physical exertion while messaging 30, 40, 50 thousand eyeballs, right?” Lori said.
Darth Vader, a human-sized taco and even a Lady Justice made appearances at the protests as “FDT” by YG and Nipsey Hussle blared out from the bridges.
“I’m dressed as Lady Justice because our justice system has failed us. It’s basically illegitimized itself and bows down to a king. Americans need to evaluate this system as a whole,” protestor Marissa Garcia said while wearing an American flag as a cape. Garcia used a megaphone to direct the crowd so pedestrians could cross the bridge.
During a typical protest, the Bridge Trolls can reach tens of thousands of travelers on the highway, Garcia said.
Throughout the past year, the group has rotated between dozens of bridges and plans to continue to protest and get their message out.
“I hope these protests have woken a lot of people up,” Huston said. “People are really brave and can get out and really do something.”
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