{"id":952456,"date":"2026-07-22T19:30:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T19:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/952456\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T19:30:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T19:30:51","slug":"meet-the-protestors-using-north-texas-bridges-to-send-a-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/952456\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the protestors using North Texas bridges to send a message"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a little after 7:30 a.m. in West Arlington<\/a>. Standing on an overpass bridge near Lamar High School, Andrew Kocher can hear the rush of morning commuter traffic below. A grumbling, mechanical growl grows closer behind him, and as he turns to identify the source, relief is evident in the absence of flashing lights.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the cops,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The Arlington police officer <\/a>circles his motorcycle a few times, then stops to talk to the people dotting the bridge. Kocher has had run-ins with law enforcement on the bridge previously, but today, the officer seems to be stopping by more out of curiosity than concern. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the message for today?\u201d the officer asks.<\/p>\n

Sign up for the This Week\u2019s Top Stories newsletter to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox<\/p>\n

THANK YOU!<\/p>\n

You’re all set.<\/p>\n

CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"KocherKocher has been told to remove campaign signage in the past, but said there have not been many incidents with police recently.<\/p>\n

In front of Kocher, facing thousands of westbound cars on Interstate 30, exactly 34 panels paint a clear picture of his thoughts. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, Kocher and his fellow activists display their thoughts to scores of morning commuters on various issues. The issue for today? Flock Cameras.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurveillance is not safety,\u201d the panel reads, with a URL for the advocacy group DeFlock following. <\/p>\n

Thousands of police-contracted Flock cameras and automatic license plate readers (ALPR) now scour hundreds of roadways in North Texas<\/a>. Police officials have lauded the technology for its investigative and deterrent capabilities; however, advocacy groups have raised concerns over data protection <\/a>and privacy.<\/p>\n

While Flock cameras are the issue of the day and have been targeted previously, the group\u2019s message shifts week to week. Similar messages have begun popping up around D-FW since the beginning of the Trump administration, and are part of a wider national effort. <\/p>\n

\u2018We all deserve better than this\u2019
\n\"TheBehind the signs, activists wave at commuters and wave pom-poms during protests.<\/p>\n

Kocher, 61, started his bridge protests in September of last year. His group heads to the Davis Street bridge each Tuesday and, occasionally, to an overpass on Highway 360 on Wednesdays to deliver politically charged messages to commuters below. Kocher and other activists start setting up as the sun rises before 7 a.m. to catch peak rush hour traffic.<\/p>\n

Last week, the decidedly older group\u2019s message was \u201cOnly losers go to war without a plan,\u201d while a month ago, panels assured passersby that \u201cWe all deserve better than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started this, my thought was to try to come up with messages that both sides could agree on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a large group \u2014 Kocher estimates most protests draw five to eight people weekly. But that\u2019s part of the reason the protests are so effective, he said, because only a few people are needed to make an impression on scores of drivers.<\/p>\n

Kocher said he considers himself left-leaning, but has not always felt represented by the Democratic Party. He has been somewhat politically active in the past, but said his first serious foray into activism came with the first protest last September, which offered an opening for an introvert like him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m much happier when I\u2019m not talking to people, and going out there and doing that is one thing,\u201d he said. \u201cThis was a way for me to express my frustration with the way things are going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe American flag features prominently at each protest, although it also has to be attached to a PVC pipe.<\/p>\n

At his home, Kocher has a collection of roughly 130 interchangeable black poster board panels with letters stenciled and painted on both sides. To comply with TxDOT rules prohibiting signage from being posted directly onto the bridge itself, he built a PVC pipe frame that can fit up to roughly 40 characters. The messages need to be kept short to capture eyes going 60-plus miles per hour, he said.<\/p>\n

Unlike some groups engaged in similar activities, the Arlington activists select their own message each week. The signs cover some local politics, but Kocher mostly sticks to national issues when deciding what message to display. While profanity is off-limits, on certain mornings, they will push the envelope. <\/p>\n

\u201cSome messages are more provocative than others,\u201d he said. \u201cWe get more negative or more positive, just depending on what the message is.\u201d<\/p>\n

In March, shortly after the beginning of the Iran War, the bridge was ornamented with the words \u201cHate has never made America great.\u201d A few weeks later, Kocher went with \u201cThe President has lost his mind.\u201d And beside the main message and a collection of American flags, each protest also features a sign that says \u201cFlip us off if you voted for a pedophile.\u201d Which happens a decent amount, he said.<\/p>\n

What is more common, however, is audible endorsement from the vehicles below. Kocher said 90 percent of passing cars are indifferent, but the majority of the remaining commuters use car horns or flash their lights to signal support.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also valuable so that people out there who think they\u2019re alone in the way they feel can see that there are other people out there that are frustrated,\u201d Kocher said.<\/p>\n

Rush hour resistance<\/strong>
\n\"ActivistWhile the Arlington activists, one of whom is pictured above, are largely independent, other organizations take their cue from the Visibility Brigade.<\/p>\n

While the Arlington group operates independently, they are still part of a nationwide mobilization. Hundreds of bridge protest groups broadcast messages across the country, with North Texas protests organized in Dallas<\/a>, Fort Worth, and Richardson.<\/p>\n

Most groups fall under the umbrella of the Visibility Brigade, a national organization which coordinates messages and connects organizers with resources for their next bridge protest. The organization was founded in 2020 at an overpass bridge in New Jersey <\/a>to bolster political awareness and activation. Over 400 chapters now participate in what the group describes as \u201cRush hour resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of those groups is run by Indivisible Dallas, a local left-wing advocacy group tied to the national Indivisible movement. Samantha Mitchell, the group\u2019s co-leader, said the protests in Dallas began in earnest last year and typically take place on the Northaven Pedestrian Bridge.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful way to protest that kind of minimizes your risk a little bit, and also sends a really profound message,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s a good social media opportunity because a lot of people take pictures and share.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group gets most of its messaging from the national Visibility Brigade movement, Mitchell said. Protests are organized using online platforms such as Mobilize, which effectively functions as an online signup forum for activism. The protests are not regularly scheduled and aren\u2019t held in extreme heat or cold, as many of the activists are older, she said.<\/p>\n

When there are a large number of protestors, organizers attach messages to both sides of the bridge and steer clear of the middle lane, which is kept open for pedestrians and cyclists. Permits are also filed with the city for large demonstrations, and while past pro-Palestine protests have drawn scrutiny from the park board<\/a>, Mitchell said the group tries to stay in the city\u2019s good graces. <\/p>\n

\u201cIndivisible Dallas has a really good relationship with DPD,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been really understanding and have tried their very best to keep everybody safe in all of our actions, so we want to maintain that good relationship with the city and with DPD.\u201d<\/p>\n

In January, hundreds of protestors gathered on the bridge after Renee Good was killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis. That day, the protestors displayed signs reading \u201cDallas says ICE out for good\u201d on one of the busiest highways in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that visible displays of dissent against a fascist government are incredibly important for the survival of humanity, not just in Texas, but everywhere in the world,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cSo it\u2019s a great antidote to despair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bumps in the road<\/p>\n

In Fort Worth, the protests take place weekly on three bridges: an overpass of I-30 near Arlington Heights High School, another near West Loop 820 and a third on Interstate 35W. The protests are organized by Fort Worth\u2019s Indivisible 12 group, which runs the local Visibility Brigade chapter. While it is associated with the national organization, each bridge has its own \u201chost,\u201d who independently dictates morning messages. One of the hosts, Deborah Guerrero, started the protests shortly after President Donald Trump\u2019s reelection<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of the three bridges, the group has addressed ICE violence<\/a> and other national issues while also maintaining a focus on local matters. Messages have criticized the state-appointed Fort Worth ISD board of directors for program cuts amid a TEA takeover<\/a>. At the end of June, the group branded Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker\u2019s husband as a \u201cdata center lobbyist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m surprised at how effective I think it is,\u201d Sabrina Ball, president of Indivisible 12, said. \u201cI feel like we\u2019re reaching thousands of people every time we\u2019re on the bridge.\u201d <\/p>\n

There have been confrontations with authorities, she said. The group has not had many negative interactions with Fort Worth PD, though one officer told activists to vacate the bridge during a prior protest. Most of the issues are with TxDOT, representatives of which have told protestors to take their signs down when they are directly attached to the bridges. Under Texas state law, it is illegal to affix political messages <\/a>in the right-of-way, according to the TxDOT website.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they just continually harass you, it\u2019s better just to alter how we do it so that we can still do it,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause it\u2019s a pain in the ass to go get all your stuff together and figure out a message, and then get out there and erect it or hold it, and then be harassed or be told to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Arlington protestors were also told by local police to remove signage that featured an endorsement of an Arlington City Council candidate.<\/p>\n

Ball said the group has gotten a more positive response from commuters with each successive protest, although there are still a decent amount of middle fingers flashed at protestors.<\/p>\n

Still, there have been incidents. At one protest, an elderly man holding an upside-down American flag was accosted by another man who parked his car near the bridge to heckle protesters. Ball said the man was \u201cdragged onto the street\u201d before other protesters de-escalated the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis guy is an older white gentleman, and he wears sun protection, like head to toe,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s completely covered, and when the guy finally looked him in the eyes, he stopped and he said, \u2018I\u2019m sorry. I thought you were a Mexican.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Ball said that the group\u2019s persistence and visibility could be key to changing perceptions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they come close, they see that it\u2019s mainly senior citizens out there struggling in the heat,\u201d she said. \u201cI think that changes hearts and minds, that they just see the dedication and that people are passionate about something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Showing our faces\u2019
\n\"KocherCleanups have gotten more efficient and the whole setup can be taken down in under 15 minutes, Kocher said.<\/p>\n

As the heat becomes uncomfortable and traffic starts to slow, Kocher and his fellow activists begin taking down the signage around 9 a.m. Each panel and American flag are carefully loaded onto hand-pulled carts as other protestors get to work disassembling his PVC frame.<\/p>\n

There were considerably more honks than middle fingers, and the only interaction with local police was far from confrontational. It was a successful morning for Kocher, who said he plans to continue the protests for as long as he has a message to share.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how much it is standing up to power or truth to power,\u201d Kocher said. \u201cI mean, we\u2019re just a bunch of old guys up on the bridge, but we are out there. We\u2019re showing our faces.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s a little after 7:30 a.m. in West Arlington. Standing on an overpass bridge near Lamar High School,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":952457,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5135],"tags":[9600,5229,1596,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-952456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-activism","tag-america","tag-dallas","tag-texas","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116965299060828758","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=952456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/952457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=952456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=952456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=952456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}