A trucker convoy group that was headed to Washington D.C. to protest at the Washington Monument has dropped out. It was likely the only convoy group to file an application to rally in the nation’s capital.
According to Facebook posts, “Freedom Convoy USA 2022” had a good turnout of supporters when it departed from California earlier this month, but it had only five trucks by the time it reached Las Vegas.
Organizers pulled the plug on the convoy before it reached Kansas, according to the Kansas City Star.
Kyle Sefcik – a Maryland small business owner, independent gubernatorial candidate and leader of the convoy – applied to hold a rally against COVID-19 mandates at the National Mall Feb. 18, WUSA 9 reported. Though Sefcik had previously told the outlet he expected tens of thousands of people to attend, he only estimated around 1,000 to 3,000 on the application.
In the application, Sefcik requested use of the National Sylvan Theater near the Washington Monument March 1 for “peaceful demonstration/assembly, Christian music/speakers against mandates,” and support of convoys in Canada. President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a State of the Union address the same day.
Additional National Guard support is expected in the D.C. area March 1. Law enforcement in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are also monitoring plans.
Other convoys of truckers are also expected to arrive in D.C. on March 1. Freedom Convoy USA 2022’s Facebook page mentioned The People’s Convoy, which was in New Mexico as of early Saturday morning, and a convoy that was expected to depart from Texas this weekend. It said both convoys have “massive,” turnouts.
“We are making the decision to send any truckers planned to meet at our routes to start heading to DC for the event on the National Mall, or to [join] the convoys named above as they are about to merge into one,” the post said. “We have raised $6,500 that will be dispersed to these truckers when they arrive to Maryland and DC.”
Freedom Convoy USA 2022 also said that people could request their money back and that Sefcik “is tirelessly working with DC authorities to coordinate the National Mall gathering which begins March 1st.”
According to a video posted by the Freedom Convoy USA 2022, the group aims to make Biden “end the mandates,” regarding COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday updated mask guidelines that many entities use to develop mask mandates. According to The New York Times, up to 70 percent of the country could stop wearing masks based on the new recommendations.
Apart from mask mandates, the truckers also plan to protest vaccine mandates. The Supreme Court has rejected a proposed OSHA rule that would have required businesses with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccinations or weekly COVID-19 testing, but some businesses chose to put mandates in place.
According to BuzzFeed News, American trucker convoys – which were inspired by a similar movement in Canada – got off to a slow start Wednesday. Bob Bolus, a trucking company owner who planned to start his own convoy on Wednesday morning from Scranton, Pa., sustained two flat tires and gathered around seven other vehicles by the afternoon.
Earlier this month, NBC News reported that “some Facebook groups that have promoted American ‘trucker convoys’ similar to demonstrations that have clogged roads in Ottawa are being run by fake accounts tied to content mills in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Romania and several other countries.”
Conservative media figures Dan Bongino and Tucker Carlson have supported the American trucker convoys.
While they are labelled as “trucker convoys,” WUSA said there has been a seeming lack of interest from U.S. truckers and a statement of opposition to the convoys from the largest trucking trade organization in the country.
Related
Related
