The organizers of a convoy of truck drivers who oppose COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic-related restrictions say they will return to the D.C. Beltway on Monday in a protest aimed at slowing traffic in the region.
WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. reports that organizers of the "People's Convoy" will hit expressways in the region on Monday afternoon but did not say when they would get on the road.
The convoy arrived in D.C. on Sunday, where The Associated Press reports that drivers made two loops around I-495, the 64-mile expressway loop that circles the nation's capital city. The AP reports that the trucks deliberately drove slowly to snarl traffic and make their feelings known to lawmakers.
Video taken from the area showed trucks flying flags and blaring their horns. While CNN reports indicated that the convoy stretched for 30 miles, The Daily Beast reported that the slow-moving trucks likely only caused "slight" delays to other motorists on the Beltway.
CNN reports that the U.S. Capitol Police is urging officers to either allow extra time to commute or take public transit to work for the next few days to avoid the potential of getting stuck in traffic during an emergency.
Monday's protests come as many states roll back COVID-19 restrictions amid the receding omicron surge.
The protests were inspired by truckers in Canada, who caused major disruptions in Ottawa earlier this year by parking their trucks near government buildings to protest vaccine mandates. Protesters also blocked several U.S.-Canada border crossings, disrupting supply chains and taxing each country's economy.
