About 1,000 tractor-trailers, recreational vehicles, pickup trucks and other vehicles were expected Monday morning to resume a slow-moving convoy around the Capital Beltway that slowed traffic on Sunday to protest pandemic restrictions.
Organizers of the so-called People’s Convoy have told media outlets they expect their numbers to grow as they continue to make two laps on the Beltway for the next several days.
The convoy has set up a home base at Hagerstown, Maryland, about 1½ hours from downtown Washington and has said there are no intentions to drive within city limits.
Local officials have warned that the convoy could double to 2,000 vehicles in coming days and force commuters to use alternative routes.
The Capitol Police Board, which oversees the U.S. Capitol Police, issued an emergency declaration over the weekend and warned congressional lawmakers and staff about potential delays and the need to alter travel routes, according to CNN.
The People’s Convoy, which features truckers who came from as far as California, aims to mimic a group in Canada that shut down major roads for weeks over their opposition to COVID-19 mandates and regulations.
However, organizers of the U.S. convoy have said their intentions are not to shut down any roadways.
Local aerial footage of the convoy has shown that it was largely spread out along the Beltway, with traffic able to pass in other lanes.
The People’s Convoy has been focused on garnering attention from federal officials and lawmakers, despite most pandemic restrictions being implemented in the U.S. at the local and state levels. Mask and vaccine mandates for private businesses have been lifted in most states and cities, including Washington.
Other convoys had been scheduled to join the People’s Convoy, but some canceled due to a lack of participation.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
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