Truckers protest gas prices

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By Michael Drost

A convoy of truckers rolled through the District on Tuesday protesting high gas prices — but turnout was much lower than expected. Organizers blamed the low turnout on — high gas prices.

About 20 truckers — instead of the anticipated 200 — blared their horns in a clarion call to Congress to rein in speculators and pursue more domestic sources of oil.

Signs taped to their rigs read: "America is going broke because of oil."

Congress, however, was busy with other pressing matters as members of the Senate banking committee braked the Bush administration's $700 billion financial-system bailout.

Mark Kirsch, national director of Truckers And Citizens United (TACU), pegged the turnout at FedEx Field at up to 30 trucks, while the Associated Press reported fewer than 20 trucks arrived on Capitol Hill a few hours later.

"Truckers are just struggling to get by these days, and the high cost of fuel is killing them," said Ron Wenger, co-director of TACU.

Even with the low turnout, the truckers were pleased with the response they received from the public.

"It's not about the people who actually show up today. It was about getting downtown and seeing the support we had on the sidewalks and on the bridges. It's about the thousands of people using the telephone to call Capitol Hill as we speak," said D.J. Brown, a Midwest owner-operator and activist.

The truckers came to Washington to highlight the role of speculators and an indifferent Congress in the dramatic increase in fuel prices in recent years.

Oil speculators buy futures contracts to profit from price fluctuations without physically owning any oil.