Authorities Brace for Trouble as Trucker Convoy Heads to Capitol
The Capitol complex has been encircled with temporary fencing previously installed after the Jan. 6 insurrection, the D.C. National Guard has been called upon for assistance, along with hundreds of police officers from New York City and Philadelphia, as authorities prepare for possible disruptions ahead of President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address.
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Preparing for possible demonstrations and disruptions ahead of President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address, the Capitol complex has been encircled with temporary fencing installed after the Jan. 6 insurrection, the D.C. National Guard has been called upon for assistance, along with hundreds of police officers from New York City and Philadelphia, to support federal and local authorities, and the Secret Service, reports the Washington Post.
D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said that lawful First Amendment demonstrations would be welcome, but police would take action in the event of illegal activity. Police agencies from Maryland and Virginia are monitoring the Beltway in expectation of added security concerns posed by caravans of truckers heading to the District. There have been varying convoy spinoffs in the United States, with different routes, dates and organizers, making it difficult to predict how many people will participate, where demonstrations could take place, what protesters will do or how long they intend to stay.
A spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police, said the agency is still “just monitoring” the trucker convoys, one of which, the People’s Convoy, a U.S.-based group of activists opposed to vaccine mandates, left Southern California on Wednesday, aiming to arrive in the D.C. region on March 5. Capitol Police said in a statement that the reinstalled fencing around the Capitol was “out of an abundance of caution” and that the timing of its removal will be determined soon after Biden’s address.
