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Group Vows to Defend Old Kosciuszko Bridge From Demo With Swords and Wolves

By Gwynne Hogan | June 26, 2017 5:53pm
"All you faithful supporters of the TRUE KOSCIUSZKO BRIDGE know that the TIME OF FIRE is upon us," the Facebook group page reads.
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Courtesy of Brian Hersey

GREENPOINT — A band of costumed warriors are pledging to defend the "true" Kosciuszko Bridge from demolition this summer with wolves and swords, according to a Facebook event that promises hundreds of attendees.

"Join a band of dedicated warriors as we gather our strength and battle against the invasive Bridge-bringers who are our sworn enemies. All you faithful supporters of the TRUE KOSCIUSZKO BRIDGE know that the TIME OF FIRE is upon us, and we must bring pain to our enemies and their allies," the Facebook event page reads.

"Join us as we form a circle of sword wiedling[sic] human warriors and their wolf warrior brethern[sic]. Together between the strength of WOLF AND IRON we shall bring defeat to our enemies, and the true KOSCIUSZKO BRIDGE shall stand for another day, and the imposter FALSE BRIDGE shall fall into the seas of Newtown for all eternity."

Bushwick resident and web developer Brian Hersey, 41, is the event's creator, who planned the gathering when news broke that the bridge would be demolished.

Many people reacted on social media organizing watch parties and brass bands to play, all seeming to celebrate the old bridge's demise.

"Why is no one taking the side of this old bridge?" he wondered, though he admitted, "the new bridge does look pretty nice and is probably more efficient."

"Somebody needs to speak up for this old bridge and that's what we’re doing," he said. 

He encouraged attendees to come garbed in warrior costumes, but pointed out that real swords are illegal in New York City.

The idea is "for people to wind up in the same space and do something stupid instead of just taking videos and posting on social media," he said.

The old bridge Kosciuszko Bridge will be demolished on two yet-to-be-determined dates at some point this summer.

Contractors will cut the bridge into three sections and lower the central section of bridge that spans the Newtown Creek down onto barges on the creek and ship it away. Then the two segments of the bridge that stretch over land in Greenpoint and in Maspeth in Queens will be rigged with dynamite and destroyed.

Once the old bridge is demolished, the second section of bridge, which eventually carry Brooklyn-bound traffic and a bike and pedestrian causeway, will begin. It is expected to be completed in 2020. Currently east and west bound traffic are both located on the newly built bridge, which opened in April.