U.S. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) on Monday said the trucker convoy circling near Washington, D.C., is not expected to cause security problems or disrupt business.
Norton, a nonvoting delegate in Congress, met with Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger for a briefing on the People’s Convoy, a protest movement against vaccine mandates that began last week and plans to circle D.C. on the Capital Beltway for a third day.
According to Norton, the convoy of roughly 2,000 vehicles includes several hundred trucks, which are circling the capital at about 45 to 55 mph. There are two convoys, one based out of Hagerstown, Md., and the other out of Dominion Raceway, Va.
“Chief Manger told me that he was more worried last week, before the State of the Union, prior to making contact with the convoys, and he currently does not expect either of the groups to cause security problems in the area,” Norton said in a statement. “As the situation could change, I will continue monitoring closely to ensure D.C. residents are kept safe.”
As protesters gathered in the D.C. area on Sunday, the Capitol Police Board issued an emergency declaration and the Pentagon extended National Guard support in the capital.
Republican Sens. Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Ted Cruz (Texas) will meet with representatives of the People’s Convoy on Tuesday to discuss COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The convoy, which was inspired by a Canadian trucker protest against vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, is calling for end to the country’s state of emergency. However, most pandemic restrictions are already being lifted across the nation, including in D.C., as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations drop.
Canadian protests in Ottawa did not end until the country’s prime minister invoked the national emergencies act to clear out protesters in the zone.