Leaders from the People’s Convoy are meeting with Senators Ted Cruz, of Texas and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin on Capitol Hill to ‘discuss the harmful effects of President Biden’s vaccine mandates’.
The convoy has called the coronavirus vaccine and mask mandates ‘government overreach.’
The People’s Convoy is now larger than ever after three separate freedom convoy caravans came together to make a unified lap around the DC Beltway Tuesday while protest organizers met with legislators.
‘We’re going to keep looping the Beltway until we’re heard,’ People’s Convoy organizer Brian Brase, of Ohio, told reporters Tuesday. ‘We’re not going anywhere.’
Sen. Ted Cruz jumped to their defense, issuing support for the truckers.
‘There is a fever of authoritarian politicians trying to strip away people’s rights,’ he said.
‘They have been peacefully, fighting for their freedoms as Americans should,’ echoed Sen. Johnson. ‘They’re fighting for freedom and they’re going to continue to fight.’
Around 2,500-3,000 trucks joined forces for a circuit of the section of Interstate 495 which encircles the US capital. The protest swelled as its leaders outlined an expanded list of demands, and received recognition from one of America’s best-known conservative lawmakers.
The truckers told DailyMail.com their key demands also include: reopening the Keystone pipeline, ending big tech censorship, ensuring rights for Capitol riot prisoners, holding vaccine manufacturers liable for damages, making political ideology a protected class – like freedom of religion – and reaffirming the Bill of Rights.
The now 3,000-vehicle truck cavalcade – which organizers say spans 62 miles – will encircle the 64-mile Beltway again Tuesday, clogging one of the main arteries into the capital city.
On Monday, the People’s Convoy left all lanes in a standstill multiple times as it circled the Beltway, after some trucks practically parked on the highway, causing all the cars behind them to stop, a DailyMail.com journalist trailing the group reported. Maryland State Police have warned citizens to expect massive traffic delays in the coming days.
Organizers have sworn to impede traffic until their demands are met, noting that ‘every day it will escalate’.
‘We are law-abiding citizens that are just exercising our rights to this protest,’ Brase told the Washington Times Monday night after publicly confirming the Congressional meeting, which DailyMail.com had announced earlier that day.
The 37-year-old trucker had previously hinted he was optimistic about the meeting, saying Sunday: ‘I’m hopeful that we have successful dialogue with congressmen and women and senators that help get what we’re looking for pushed through in a timely fashion.’
WASHINGTON D.C. – MARCH 8: Leaders from the People’s Convoy are meeting with Senators Ted Cruz , of Texas and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin on Capitol Hill to ‘discuss the harmful effects of President Biden’s vaccine mandates’
WASHINGTON D.C. – MARCH 7: The People’s Convoy is now larger than ever after three separate freedom convoy caravans have come together to take a unified lap around the DC Beltway. The group – before the merger – is pictured Monday in standstill traffic on the Beltway
The People’s Convoy has a vast list of demands that they plan to address with Congressional leaders on Tuesday
Ten members of the convoy are meeting with Senators Ted Cruz, of Texas, (left) and Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, (right) Tuesday to ‘discuss the harmful effects of President Biden’s vaccine mandates’. The convoy has called the coronavirus vaccine and mask mandates ‘government overreach’
SILVER SPRINGS, MARYLAND – MARCH 7: The now 3,000-vehicle truck cavalcade – which organizers say spans 62 miles – will encircle the 64-mile Beltway again Tuesday, clogging one of the main arteries into the capital city. Truckers are pictured en route to the Beltway on Monday
WASHINGTON D.C. – MARCH 7: Organizers have sworn to impede D.C. traffic until their demands are met, noting that ‘every day the protest will escalate’
The People’s Convoy – which now includes protesters from Convoy for America and the American Freedom Convoy – traveled across the country to protest alleged government overreach, which apparently includes the use of controversial critical race theory in education.
A group of Moms for America representatives traveling with the convoy diverged from the group’s route to D.C. on Saturday and visited Loudoun County, Virginia.
Conservative activist Kimberly Fletcher told LoudounNow that Moms for America visited the county, known for its woke school board and heavily-debated transgender policies and use of critical race theory, in effort of ‘reclaiming our culture for truth, family, freedom and the Constitution’.
The organization coordinated with Parents Against Critical Theory leader Scott Mineo to hold the rally, which was attended by about two dozens residents.
Speakers addressed education and encouraged attendees to get involved with the local government.
‘The government never gives back what it takes,’ Fletcher told the crowd. ‘We teach them how to vote with the conscience and how to serve the people they were elected to serve, which is the teachers and the students.’
She also noted that Ashburn, the Loudoun County town where Saturday’s rally was held, was a ‘no truck zone now’ but the group chose to stop there regardless in an effort to show local leaders they are ‘irrelevant’.
‘The mayor and all these people said ‘this is a no truck zone now.’ So we just want to make it very clear that why would we do that? You’re completely irrelevant. That would give you relevance and you’re completely irrelevant,’ Fletcher stated.
‘When you disregard the Constitution of the United States, when you start pushing mandates on people that you have absolutely no authority to do, you have become irrelevant.’
The People’s Convoy, which is holding camp at the Hagerstown Speedway in Maryland, will encircle the Washington D.C. Beltway in protest again Tuesday. This is the third time the caravan will impede traffic on the busy interstate
WASHINGTON D.C. – MARCH 7: On Monday, the People’s Convoy left all lanes in a standstill (pictured) multiple times as it circled the Beltway, after some trucks practically parked on the highway, causing all the cars behind them to stop, a DailyMail.com journalist trailing the group reported
SILVER SPRINGS, MARYLAND – MARCH 7: Maryland State Police have warned citizens to expect massive traffic delays in the coming days
ASHBURN, VIRGINIA – MARCH 5: The People’s Convoy traveled across the country to protest alleged government overreach. A group of Moms for America representatives traveling with the convoy diverged from the group’s route to D.C. on Saturday and visited Loudoun County, Virginia
ASHBURN, VIRGINIA – MARCH 5: Moms for America coordinated with Loudoun County group Parents Against Critical Theory to hold the rally, which was attended by about two dozens residents. The moms said they were ‘reclaiming our culture for truth, family, freedom and the Constitution’ and encouraged Loudoun County residents to get involved with the local government. They also addressed education, which is a hot-button topic in Loudoun because of its controversial transgender policy proposals and alleged use of critical race theory in schools
The now nearly 3,000-vehicle-strong People’s Convoy – a spinoff from a protest in Canada started by truckers upset at vaccine requirements to cross the Canadian border – traveled from southern California nearly 2,500 miles to D.C. on an 11-day journey. The group stopped in major U.S. cities and rural towns along they way, holding rallies and meeting with their supporters.
They first arrived in the Washington D.C. area on Sunday, and brought traffic to a standstill on the Beltway – the circular stretch of I-495 that connects Virginia, Maryland and D.C. – for two days in a row. The group is expected to do so again on Tuesday.
The group has received mixed response from authorities in Washington.
The Pentagon on Monday approved requests from U.S. Capitol Police and the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency to extend National Guard support at traffic control points throughout D.C. and the Capitol building until Wednesday in response to the trucker protest.
House Sergeant at Arms William Walker and House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor wrote to Capitol Hill staff on Sunday night urging them to either work from home or use public transportation.
If that was not an option, the two House officers gave the unusual option of letting staff get a hotel room paid for by their congressional office, which is funded by taxpayer money, so they can stay close to the Capitol and avoid a commute.
‘In general, living expenses and commuting expenses, including lodging expenses at a Member’s or employee’s regular duty station, are not reimbursable with official funds, except in extraordinary circumstances,’ Walker and Szpindor write in a letter obtained by DailyMail.com.
‘Considering the current situation, the Committee on House Administration has determined that extraordinary circumstances exist to permit use of official funds to reimburse short-term lodging expenses in the Washington, D.C., area for certain Members and staff,’ they noted.
HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND – MARCH 7: The People’s Convoy first arrived in the Washington D.C. area on Sunday, and brought traffic to a standstill on the Beltway – the circular stretch of I-495 that connects Virginia, Maryland and D.C. – for two days in a row. They plan to do so again Tuesday
WASHINGTON D.C. – MARCH 7: The group has received mixed response from authorities in Washington. The Pentagon on Monday approved requests from U.S. Capitol Police and the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency to extend National Guard support at traffic control points throughout D.C. and the Capitol building until Wednesday in response to the trucker protest
WASHINGTON D.C. – MARCH 7: Congressional staffers are being told to work from home or to get a hotel room – that can be paid for by their tax-payer funded office – as the truckers encircle Washington
HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND – MARCH 7: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton said Monday she is monitoring the convoy ‘closely to ensure D.C. residents are kept safe.’ She said police do not expect the group to cause security problems in the area
The People’s Convoy – a spinoff from a protest in Canada started by truckers upset at vaccine requirements to cross the Canadian border – traveled from southern California nearly 2,500 miles to D.C. to protest government overreach
To meet the requirement for an office-paid hotel room, staff must show their commute to the Capitol would be disrupted by the convoy, that their job is essential and requires them to be on the four-acre Capitol campus, and there is no feasible public transportation option.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who was briefed by Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger about the convoys, said Monday she is monitoring the convoy ‘closely to ensure D.C. residents are kept safe.’
‘As of now, they apparently do not plan to disrupt regular business inside D.C., instead planning to drive several laps around the beltway at 45-55 miles per hour and bus some representatives into the District to meet with members of Congress,’ she wrote in a press release.
‘Chief Manger told me that he was more worried last week, before the State of the Union, prior to making contact with the convoys, and he currently does not expect either of the groups to cause security problems in the area.’
Similarly, some leaders, including Sen. Rand Paul previously expressed their support for the cavalcade of semi-trucks, recreational vehicles and cars.
Paul announced in February he is ‘all for’ the convoy, saying: ‘Civil disobedience is a time-honored tradition in our country, from slavery to civil rights, you name it. Peaceful protest, clog things up, make people think about the mandates.’
