Led by Truckers, Hundreds of Vehicles Protesting Covid Mandates Encircle Washington
The New York Times
The convoy slowed traffic outside the capital for hours before fading in the afternoon.
WASHINGTON — Draped in American flags and fueled by anger, hundreds of vehicles led by a group of truckers encircled the nation’s capital on Sunday, hampering traffic outside the city for hours by driving at slower speeds to protest Covid-19 mandates.
The convoy of vehicles — dozens of trucks, along with minivans, motorcycles, pickup trucks and hatchbacks, with many displaying signs that read “Freedom” — aimed to complete two loops on Interstate 495, a 64-mile highway known as the Capital Beltway, before returning to a staging area in Maryland, with plans to potentially ramp up the demonstration in the coming days. But by the second time around, the vehicles appeared to be so spread out that the congestion took on the feel of a weekday morning commute, before opening up in the afternoon.
Although it was unclear whether the caravan would ultimately enter Washington, D.C., this week, organizers said they did not want people to drive into the capital on Sunday out of fears that some participants could turn it into a chaotic event reminiscent of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. They also wanted to avoid a confrontation with law enforcement after dozens of people protesting in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, were arrested last month.
