Trucker convoy still on course for D.C. this weekend despite previous failed attempts

A convoy of truckers protesting COVID-19 pandemic health restrictions and President Biden say they will arrive in the nation’s capital by the weekend.

Known as The People’s Convoy, a group of drivers that originated in California has gained followers as it has made its way across the country for the past week or so. Group organizers say on their Facebook page that they will meet in Hagerstown, Maryland, at a speedway on Friday that’s about 90 minutes away from the District before heading to the Washington area on the weekend.

Previous attempts to organize a large-scale convoy similar to the protest that shut down traffic for weeks in the Canadian capital of Ottawa and at major U.S. border checkpoints were unsuccessful due to lack of participation. A planned protest by truckers near the Washington Monument meant to coincide with Mr. Biden’s State of the Union address earlier this week only featured a handful of protesters, according to media reports. The organizers and law enforcement authorities had expected several thousand to attend.

Still, local officials have said they are prepared and expect the truckers to disrupt traffic in the region this weekend. The exact details of the convoy, such as its size and whether it will actually enter city limits, remain unknown.

Public schools in Washington County, Maryland, which encompasses where the convoy is meeting in Hagerstown, said students will be released early in “anticipation of a motor convoy” that will “likely create traffic congestion and delays on major transportation routes.”

Law enforcement has said while they will respect the protesters’ First Amendment rights, they are prepared to break up traffic jams caused by the truckers, who are protesting COVID-19 restrictions such as mask and vaccine mandates. 

Nearly all states and cities have lifted such mandates. However, mask requirements remain in place for many schools across the country. The District lifted its mask and vaccine mandates on Tuesday.

The Canadian protests, which grew to embrace a number of far-right causes and attracted the support of such figures as former President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, have sparked copycat demonstrations in a number of countries, including France and New Zealand.

For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.