Protesters and truck drivers who have flocked to the nation’s capital from across the country as part of “The People’s Convoy” to protest COVID-19 restrictions have caused congestion throughout the city for several days.
Since arriving in the area at the beginning of the month, the large gathering of 18-wheelers and cars has largely stayed on roads along the perimeter of the city like the Capital Beltway. But in recent days, protesters have focused more on slowing traffic inside the city.
“Demonstration activity expected on roadways in and around DC today, motorists should expect traffic delays,” D.C. city government wrote in a tweet Thursday. “[D.C. Metropolitan Police Department] is prepared to implement traffic control measures, including rolling road closures, as needed.”
The road closures will “be lifted as soon as they are no longer necessary,” the tweet added.
The protest is modeled after a similar convoy demonstration in Canada against COVID regulations that successfully shut down major roadways for weeks. Nearly all cities and states in the U.S. have lifted mask and vaccine mandates, though federal mask mandates remain for public transportation and flights.
Social media videos and news reports in recent days have shown long lines of vehicles participating in the convoy were jamming up traffic near the National Mall and elsewhere throughout the District.
The group had its permit request to establish a trucker encampment around portions of the Mall partially denied by the National Park Service, according to The Daily Beast.
The protest has infuriated local residents and commuters. Residents have been seen yelling at participants to go home while one trucker was filmed confronting another driver, hitting that driver’s car window.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
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