The last time we checked on the pandemic-policy-protesting People’s Convoy, the American homage to the Canadian Freedom Convoy, a contingent left California as others planned to join them en route.
However, since the group departed, most media eyes have been glued to the developments in Eastern Europe.
Checking in on the convoy’s progress, it seems they are slowly making their way through the American Midwest and are on track to be in Washington, D.C., this Saturday.
The largest truck caravan, the eight-mile long, 100-vehicle People’s Convoy, rallied in Missouri overnight and continued its trek through Illinois on Tuesday, despite a harsh warning from state police discouraging protesters and threatening legal action for traffic disruptions.Modeled after recent trucker protests in Canada that shut down border crossings to the U.S., the People’s Convoy has called on Biden to end the national emergency originally declared at the start of the pandemic, as well as any remaining coronavirus mandates. The truckers allege the government has infringed upon their constitutional rights with the mandates.’This is not a left issue. This not a right issue. This is an American issue,’ trucker and Peoples’ Convoy co-organizer Brain Brase, 37, of Ohio, told a crowd of supporters in Missouri Monday night. ‘Not only have we seen multiple violations of our constitutional rights, but on a global scale we have seen violations of our God-given rights. Governments around the world are violating your human rights.’The People’s Convoy – which has raised more than $1.5million in donations made through its own website – has sworn not to disrupt roads or bridges and organizers have promised a ‘100% safe, lawful and peaceful journey’ that will ‘terminate in the vicinity of the D.C. area, but will NOT be going into D.C. proper.’ The trucker caravan intends to reach the greater D.C. area on Saturday, March 5.
The group was threatened by an official of the Illinois State Police, Col. Margaret McGreal, of the ISP Division of Patrol. She asserted that a planned event “designed to impede normal traffic flow is dangerous to the innocent motoring public,’n and then warned of enforcement action.
She was slammed for the rank hypocrisy in light of the state police response to Black Lives Matter rallies in 2020.
The Peoples Convoy NFT Twitter account, responding to the warning, said Tuesday: ‘They say these planned events are a danger to public safety because traffic backups are, in their opinion, a major contributor to traffic crashes, and even death.”Our convoy has traveled the whole way to your great state of Illinois with ZERO traffic infractions, and in fact sheriffs offices along the way have escorted or even praised the organization and safety that is built into this.’So while we are only in your state a short time, and we are not impacting any major city, maybe it would be a good thing for you to witness what the sheriffs have. The shear commitment to safety, and security that this Convoy has,’ the organizers wrote.Other social media users have slammed the state for its allege hypocrisy, noting that in August 2020 troopers set up a safe route of travel for Black Lives Matter protesters marching along the Dan Ryan Expressway.’Illinois is a People’s Convoy no-go zone,’ tweeted Dan Proft. ‘ISP on the #BlackLivesMatter protest in Aug. ’20 that shut down the Dan Ryan Xway: “We have been in contact with the protest organizers to set up a safe route of travel…will protect the rights of those seeking to peacefully protest.”‘
The next stop for the group is Ted Everett Farm Equipment in Monrovia, Indiana, where it will remain until Thursday morning for rest and a rally.
Maureen Steele, one of the People’s Convoy organizers, indicates that while the group is heading toward DC, the trucks won’t venture into the heart of the nation’s capital.
She said the truckers behind ‘The People’s Convoy’ never intended to be in the District for the State of the Union. And when they do arrive in the area this weekend, she says they will stay out of DC.”We have zero plans to go into DC proper. After January 6, what went on there, there was never any intention of going into DC proper. We’ve discouraged other people from doing it,” she said.Beyond that, Steele was tight-lipped about the group’s plans upon arriving in the DMV.”We haven’t announced it yet, but we will when we get closer to where we’re going to be,” Steele said.
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