Protest convoys set out for D.C.

With cheers, patriotic songs, and prayers, supporters sent off roughly two dozen trucks on the first leg of “The People’s Convoy” from Adelanto, Calif., on Wednesday morning. The group plans to caravan across 2,600 miles, picking up an estimated 1,000 trucks, and arrive in Washington, D.C., around March 5. Roughly 25 separate convoys are set to join the People’s Convoy in Washington. The first wave of one semitruck and seven vehicles from Scranton, Pa.—President Joe Biden’s hometown—rolled into town on Wednesday afternoon. Others aim to arrive in time for the State of the Union address on March 1. Convoy leaders said they are protesting COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates as well as the pandemic-related state of emergency, which Biden said he will extend past its March 1 expiration date.

How is Washington preparing? The Pentagon approved the deployment of 700 unarmed National Guard troops Tuesday to help with traffic control during demonstrations. The troops will not take part in law enforcement or domestic surveillance. The People’s Convoy organizers said they will drive through D.C. proper and then focus on shutting down the Beltway, a highway that encircles the capital. 

Dig deeper: Read Addie Michaelian’s report in Compassion about how police responded to the trucker protest in Canada.