Hyperlocal and highly visible: the power of freeway overpass protests amid Trump 2.0

Since Trump retook office, protesters across the US are sending messages that are hard for drivers to miss

Bonnie Connery was horrified when she read the news about the death of ICE observer Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on 7 January. Within minutes, she and her local Missoula Visibility Brigade were messaging each other. By 3.30pm, the group of 20 was standing on the South Reserve Street Pedestrian Bridge, arranging letters cut out of craft paper and glued onto black foam and hanging them across the bridge using bungee cords. Thousands of cars driving by during rush hour passed under their messages: ICE THUGS KILL CITIZEN" and DHS LIES."

The idea was to grab drivers' attention quickly, which often means using a short, shocking message. When asked why the group chose this location, Connery said: These cars are driving out of Missoula, which is blue, into the very red areas outside of the city."