Visibility Brigade: Rush Hour Resistance

Messages bungeed to a bridge give commuters timely messages

By Martha Merson

In 2020,The Visibility Brigade grew out of a frustration with the lack of physical signs calling out the existential crisis we face as a nation.

For the last five years, a core group of 5-10 people has produced a new pro-democracy message weekly, year round. They have displayed each message while waving to commuters from a pedestrian walkway over a six-lane New Jersey highway with 40-50 mph speed limits. They call themselves the Visibility Brigade.

The Grassroots Connector recently spoke to members of the brigade. One describes the people who gather on the bridge over Route 4 as kind and gentle. “We share a character flaw – or you could call it a strength – injustice bugs the shit out of us.”

Messages from the Bridge

The group has found a way to channel their frustration with seriously disturbing events.

“We don’t have meetings or long discussions,” one member said. “Just a secret Signal group where we discuss messages. We aren’t trying to convert anyone. We’re trying to activate people who feel they are alone and there’s nothing they can do.”

The Visibility Brigade delivers a weekly dose of social proof. “Social proof” as political strategist Anat Shenker Osario describes it, can move people to action. Humans tend to adjust their behavior to match their peers. “We’re social animals,” Shenker Osario says. “We think, ‘If others are doing it, I should too.’ Once people have ‘social proof,’ they have powerful cues for how to act.”

The group’s messages remind drivers of simple actions to take and express support for pro-democratic state and national candidates. Recognizing politics as a numbers game, the Visibility Brigade is working to reach the tipping point for standing up to the oligarchs dismantling democracy in the US.

While trying to awaken as many people as possible to take action, Visibility Brigade members also know that their presence “comforts heartbroken voters. The messages let them know that they are not alone.”

During a 90-minute action during rush hour, 5,000 cars pass in each direction, 50 weeks a year. “The commuters who drive past have seen us for five years. They honk and wave back if the message gets them jazzed. Sometimes the response is more somber.”

Consequences

What are the consequences of these messages? “There’s a responsibility that comes with being loud and visible,” a brigade member explains. “We are thoughtful about our messaging. We think twice. For example, we were going to put up a message about 1776, but decided it was not a good idea, because it might have implied the suggestion of some sort of violence. We do things peacefully.”

Action is the antidote to despair

This weekly action has helped members feel part of a community. “We spend 90 minutes on the bridge. We chitchat about movies. Wave at cars. Giggle a bit. We then go on about our days. People feel good.”

During the week, brigade members on Signal “do a lot of listening and come to a loose kind of consensus. Crafting the messages and communicating them to drivers is a chance to get your feelings out. There is a therapeutic aspect to this, but it isn’t time consuming.”

One member recalls the oft-quoted poem by Holocaust survivor Martin Niemöller.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Speaking out is an act of self-defense, the Visibiity Brigade teaches us. In a famous image from an early Hitler rally, a crowd is giving the Heil Hitler salute. But one person stands with his arms by his sides. “Be that guy,” the Visibility Brigade is saying. “Be an individual, be the action star. Here’s your opportunity. Be that guy — right now.”

Visibility Brigade members prize their anonymity and welcome others to adopt their methods. Check this link for guidance on everything from materials for making letters, bungees, and interfacing with local police.