U.S. Capitol Police close D.C. streets ahead of the "People's Convoy", fencing goes back up at Capitol
Article by Karen Townsend in HotAir
U.S. Capitol Police close D.C. streets ahead of the "People's Convoy", fencing goes back up at Capitol
American truckers and their supporters are organizing and heading to Washington, D.C. to protest COVID-19 mandates. The People’s Convoy is patterned after Canada’s Freedom Convoy. Truckers will leave California tomorrow and arrive in Washington on Saturday, March 5. D.C. law enforcement is preparing for their arrival.
The People’s Convoy announced plans to launch a “peaceful and unified transcontinental movement” in Southern California. Organizers say their intention is to have a “law-abiding convoy” with truckers, blue-collar workers and supporters participating in it. According to the news release, they expect supporters from all walks of life. Their news release named some conservative-leaning journalists who will join the convoy to cover the event, providing daily updates as they travel across the country.
American truckers are launching The People’s Convoy, a peaceful and unified transcontinental movement, on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, from the Adelanto Stadium in Southern California. Starting at 10:00 a.m., hundreds of truckers will hear words of encouragement and blessings from a group of speakers including FLCCC President Dr. Pierre Kory and Godspeak Church Pastor Rob McCoy. The truckers and blue-collar workers of the United States will be joined by freedom-loving supporters from all walks of life – frontline doctors, lawyers, first responders, former military servicemen and women, students, retirees, mothers, fathers and children – on this peaceful and law-abiding transcontinental journey toward the east coast. The truckers encourage one and all to come out to the stadium in the heart of Adelanto, California to wish them well, see them off and join in the journey.
This convoy is about freedom and unity: the truckers are riding unified across party and state lines and with people of all colors and creeds – Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Mormons, Agnostics, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Republican, Democrats. All individuals are welcome to participate by either attending the launch gathering – at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday February 23, at Adelanto Stadium – or by getting in their own vehicles and following the big rigs from Adelanto toward the east coast!
The message of The People’s Convoy is simple. The last 23 months of the COVID-19 pandemic have been a rough road for all Americans to travel: spiritually, emotionally, physically, and – not least – financially. With the advent of the vaccine and workable therapeutic agents, along with the hard work of so many sectors that contributed to declining COVID-19 cases and severity of illness, it is now time to re-open the country. The average American worker needs to be able to end-run the economic hardships of the last two years, and get back to the business of making bread – so they can pay their rents and mortgages and help jumpstart this economy. To that end, it’s time for elected officials to work with the blue collar and white-collar workers of America and restore accountability and liberty – by lifting all mandates and ending the state of emergency – as COVID is well-in-hand now, and Americans need to get back to work in a free and unrestricted manner.
D.C. law enforcement agencies are preparing and a request for assistance from the National Guard has been made. U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) released a statement that they are aware of the convoy’s plans and are on alert. The D.C. National Guard, if activated, will test its new activation process put in place after the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill.
“The District of Columbia National Guard is aware of a request for assistance sent to the Department of Defense by the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency,” Maj. Aaron Thacker, a spokesman for the DCNG, said in a statement to Military Times.
The request, he said, “asks DCNG provide traffic control support to the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department in anticipation of First Amendment demonstrations expected next week in the District. DCNG is also aware of a similar request for assistance submitted by the U.S. Capitol Police.”
Pending DoD approval, DCNG “stands ready to provide support to the citizens of the District as directed by the secretary of defense.” If approved, this would be one of the first uses of a new, more-streamlined DCNG activation process established in the wake of the Jan. 6. 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
USCP has already closed off some streets in preparation for the convoy’s arrival and any traffic congestion caused by the trucks.
1) USCP have closed off a few streets close to the Capitol “Due to the Truckers Convoy.” The streets are on the west side of the Capitol (National Mall side).
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) February 20, 2022
Multiple garbage trucks, dump trucks and snow plows have now closed off these streets “until further notice.”
3) “First Street between Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) February 20, 2022
A USCP vehicle will be posted at First Street and Constitution Avenue NW to allow access for authorized personnel.”
The USCP put out a statement that it is “closely coordinating with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including DC’s Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Park Police, the United States Secret Service and other allied agencies to include the DC National Guard.” That is something that wasn’t done despite the warning USCP received about a potential protest on Capitol Hill on January 6, which turned violent. There is no indication that there will be any such problems on March 5. The latest update from USCP includes the decision to put up temporary fencing around the Capitol as extra security before the joint session of Congress for the State of the Union address on March 1. The fencing is expected to go up next week.
“The United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service have been closely working together to plan for the upcoming State of the Union. The temporary inner-perimeter fence is part of those ongoing discussions and remains an option, however at this time no decision has been made.” – The United States Capitol Police
The convoy comes at a time that many states and cities are easing COVID-19 mandates, some beginning to do away with all restrictions. This isn’t February 2021. The pandemic is entering the endemic stage. In other words, it’s time that everyone learns to live with the virus because it isn’t going away. The mask mandates, for example, have been discredited as protection from COVID unless N-95 masks are used and are properly fitted. The cloth masks may make the wearer feel better but they don’t do the job. Vaccination requirements by employers are ending. Biden continues to lose court cases filed against his authoritarian mandates. The truckers are rallying to push the administration into moving more quickly in ending what is left of the mandates.
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