On Saturday, August 29, 2026 from 11AM -2PM, the CNY Solidarity Coalition and Indivisible Onondaga County brought community members together for a ‘Big Beautiful Bridge Brigade’ to draw public attention to voting and this November’s general election.
Participants were stationed at three locations along the NYS Thruway: they were Thompson Road in Syracuse, Tulip Street in Liverpool and Canton Street in Warners. Travelers in New York along the Thruway between Buffalo and the Massachusetts state line, as well as along I-81 from the Southern Tier to the North Country and along I-87 in the eastern part of the State, viewed democracy in action. Posted on overpasses in both directions, citizens stood with banners emblazoned with slogans such as ‘Stop The Chaos – Vote’ and ‘Vote Change’.
Forty-two grassroots groups dedicated to protecting democracy sent teams to 50 interstate overpasses to make their message clear: the current leadership in Washington is harmful to America’s economy and Constitution. The action was organized to make civic participation visible, accessible, and impossible to ignore and to get voters to the polls to flip the House and the Senate.
Dan Crane, one of the local organizers, said: “In 2024, too many of our fellow citizens slept through the election. We’re here to try and wake them up.” Christine Herb, another one of the local event organizers said: “I am here today to fight like hell for our country, our democracy, our Constitution & our Rule of Law, also to fight for our tax dollars being stolen by the President.” Margaret Luttinger stated: “I’m here because I’m deeply concerned about our loss of rights under the Constitution, escalating costs, increased surveillance and inhumane acts against innocent people.”
On the Tulip Street overpass, an estimated total of 10,800 vehicles saw the banners!
There will be three more similar events leading up to the midterms. Organizers have stated, “Our first priority is the safety of participants and drivers alike. We’re not anti-government. In fact, we are worried about the erosion of many of our civil rights that Americans have fought and died for since 1776. We see these actions as one of protecting our hardwon freedoms.”