A caravan of truckers that left California for Washington, D.C., Friday to protest COVID mandates arrived in Las Vegas Saturday with only five trucks in its ranks, organizers revealed, prompting them to abandon the campaign and tell members to merge with other, larger anti-mandate groups racing toward the capital.
The disbanded group, dubbed Freedom Convoy USA 2022 in solidarity with the ‘Freedom Convoy’ trucker protests that occurring in Canada over the past month, said they were expecting ‘1,000-2,000 truckers’ prior to departing Los Angeles for the cross-country excursion.
However, just one day into the ten-day journey, caravan organizers announced on social media Saturday they were scrapping the planned rallies along their route.
‘The launch in California had a good turn out of supporters, but only 5 trucks were with us on arrival in Vegas,’ organizers wrote on social media Saturday after the disappointing turnout.
The group was scheduled to pass through Kansas and Missouri Sunday and Monday – and eventually Denver, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Columbus on its way to the capitol – but abandoned those plans early Saturday, after a largely truckerless rally in Sin City.
‘To prevent another rally without our truckers – our team will not be moving thru Salt Lake City and Denver,’ organizers wrote on social media Saturday morning.
Just one day into the planned five-day expedition, US Freedom Convoy organizers announced they were scrapping the crusade after only five trucks arrived at the convoy’s first stop in Las Vegas
The group was scheduled to pass through Kansas and Missouri Sunday and Monday – and eventually Denver, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Columbus on its way to the capitol – but abandoned those plans early Saturday, after a disappointing rally in Las Vegas
Organizers instead instructed remaining revelers to join up with another other group currently en route to the capitol, The People’s Convoy, a more than 100-strong force that departed California this week and passed through Texas Sunday (pictured)
Organizers instead instructed remaining revelers to join up with another other group currently en route to the capitol, The People’s Convoy, a more than 100-strong force that departed California this week and has amassed nearly $1 million in donations,
‘There is a much larger convoy called The Peoples Convoy, that will near the Kansas and St. Louis routes we had planned previously by the morning of February 28th,’ they wrote.
‘We are focusing on our goal of unity. Follow them! We appreciate everyone who donated towards the truckers. This is a humanitarian effort more than anything.
Organizers also urged prospective protesters to follow another group, The Texas Convoy, set to set off toward the capital next week.
‘There are 2 other convoys that have massive turnouts, and are in progress to the DC area as we speak,’ organizers wrote.
‘We are making the decision to send any truckers planned to meet at our routes to start heading to DC for the event on the National Mall, or to join the convoys named above as they are about to merge into one.
‘We will be posting updates on the major convoys that are uniting as they travel across the country.’
Members of the now disbanded Freedom Convoy will now adjust to a new route, upon meeting up with the much larger People’s Convoy in Oklahoma Sunday and Indianapolis Monday
The move drew mixed reactions from revelers looking to demand an end to the pandemic- spurred state of emergency that began in March 2020, and the abolishing of government rules requiring masks and vaccinations.
‘I spent days trying to coordinate a rally in support of our truckers,’ on peeved prospective protester wrote. ‘I have three tiny kids and work a full-time job and stretched myself thin then made myself look so stupid. I’m pretty hurt by all this.’
‘Give us our money back,’ another added, referring to the tens of thousands of dollars in donations the outfit collected from thousands of prospective participants.
‘No recent updates, no videos. I don’t know what’s going on,’ another user wrote Friday, ahead of the groups dissolving. ‘Seems like they just disappeared. I was told via chat yesterday evening that they would be posting links to live feeds and or people participating that could be followed. Nada.
Approximately two dozen semi-trucks and about 100 other vehicles, traveled eastbound on I-40, near Albuquerque on Friday, in a People’s Convoy motorcade that spans eight miles
The People’s Convoy was met Friday morning by New Mexico residents who stood on overpasses holding signs and waving American flags
The convoy (pictured in Arizona on Friday morning) started its 11-day trek from California to the nation’s capital on Wednesday and, despite facing a weather delay Thursday, is still expected to arrive in D.C. on March 5, where it will be joined by around 25 other truck cavalcades
The user, Genny Scott, continued: ‘The only info I can find is on the People’s convoy which has a totally different route and ETA at DC,’ referring to the group that left California Wednesday with an 8-mile long, more than 100-strong caravan and passed through the Amarillo, Texas, Saturday morning, set to arrive in DC March 5.
Organizers for the Freedom Convoy responded: ‘Hey Genny, there is a huge convoy called the Peoples Convoy that took the show to be honest.’
‘They left on the 23rd and all the truckers decided to join theirs. The 5 trucks we had at send of chose it would be best to go catch up with them on their routes. We want one giant convoy and its best we give them the lead from hear on out.’
Some users expressed support for the change of plans by Freedom Convoy 2022 organizers.
‘I think all of the convoys merging together will have a much bigger impact than several smaller convoys,’ one wrote. ‘The bigger, the better.’
Supporters watch as People’s Convoy truckers depart from Lupton, Arizona earlier Friday morning. The group is headed next to Texas along its route the D.C.
The People’s Convoy protestors are calling for a full re-opening of the country and are scheduled to arrive in D.C. on March 5. They are pictured Friday morning leaving Lupton, Arizona
According to an itinerary posted to social media, the Freedom Convoy’s route started in LA Friday and was set to make stops in Salt Lake City, Denver and other major cities before arriving in Washington on March 1, ahead of President Joe Biden’s inaugural State of the Union address.
However, now, according to organizers, the group plans to meet up with the much-larger People’s Convoy at pit stops in Oklahoma Sunday and Indianapolis on March 1 and 2.
The sprawling caravan was recorded passing through Amarillo along Interstate 40 Sunday morning, sporting a force of hundreds of vehicles.
The group, however, is one of several modeled after the Canadian protests planning to march on the US Capitol come March.
Aside from the People’s Convoy and the Texas-based faction scheduled to set out from the Lone Star State next Saturday, yet another convoy left California Wednesday from Adelanto, roughly 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, with a force of about 40 truckers.
Before departing from the Southern California city, the revelers staged a rally reminiscent of a Make America Great Again event, waving flags and voicing anti-Biden sentiments, drawing about a hundred or so more vehicles.
There are several other smaller groups also staging similar protest-driven pilgrimages to the nation’s capitol with many appearing to be aligned with far-right organizations and activists – with some having connections to the January 6 Capitol attack.
The People’s Convoy was traveling I-40 eastbound on Friday (left). Organizers claim they were met with support as they journeyed through New Mexico (right)
Supporters have lined the roads to way and cheer for the convoy participants. This photo was taken Friday morning in Lupton, Arizona
Groups involved include several led by anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as one by Gen. Michael Flynn, a former Trump national security adviser.
Flynn’s group, the America Project, has combined its attempts to challenge Covid-19 policies with the relentless promotion of pro-Trump election conspiracy theories.
The group is run by Patrick Byrne, the former chief executive of Overstock.com, who, with Flynn, was central in a plot to persuade the then president Trump to use the military to seize voting machines in a bid to stay in power.
Another group, the American Foundation for Civil Liberties and Freedom, which has been raising money for the protesters, hosted an event in LA last year at which participants issued claims of supposed irregularities in presidential voting results in the state of Michigan.
The various, somewhat disconnected groups, all sharing a common destination of the US capital, all seem set to convene in DC in early March.
Brian Brase, a spokesman for the disbanded Freedom Convoy and truck driver based in Ohio, says his motorcade is expected to grow as the trucks wended across the country. ‘We believe tens of thousands will join in,’ he said.
The Pentagon has approved the deployment of 700 unarmed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to prepare for the convoys and assist with traffic control during any demonstrations, The Associated Press reported.
Earlier in the week, Washington DC police nixed officers’ leave this past week to prepare for the seemingly numerous caravans of protesters currently headed toward the nation’s capitol, sources close to the DC police department revealed.
The department mobilized hundreds of officers to spearhead a large response plan against the convoys, NewsNation reported.
According to an insider close to the department, forces of 500 officers formed each day the past week to form civil disturbance units set to quell the planned demonstrations, which are set to continue into March.
To form these DC response teams, the sources said, US Capitol Police have prohibited leave and time off for all its able-bodied officers.
Facebook shut down The U.S. Freedom Convoy’s Facebook page earlier this month – a move the group’s organizer called ‘censorship at its finest’ – which may have contributed to the group’s disappointing turnout.
Washington DC police have nixed officers’ leave over the next week to prepare for a caravan for Freedom Convoy protesters currently headed toward the nation’s capitol, sources close to the DC police department have revealed
Since it was deleted on February 2 – with Facebook explaining it was nixed for ‘repeatedly violating our policies around QAnon’ – the group was forced to create a series of new Facebook group advertising the planned demonstrations, which may have caused confusion among would-be revelers.
‘Attention Freedom Convoy lovers!’ one of their new groups, Defeat the Mandates DC, posted earlier in February after the original group’s deletion. ‘With our other Freedom Convoy to DC group getting taken down by FB, please join this new group now, network and stay updated because it’s just a matter of time before our new group gets taken down.’
‘Convoy set to take off from California March 1, 2022,’ the post declared.
‘Get your flags, posters, cameras and warm clothes ready,’ another Facebook group created ahead of the planned caravan posted February 6 warning prospective revelers of the dangers they might face during the protest.
‘Please understand everyone that this is a massive undertaking, ensuring many things such as fuel, food, where to park, mechanics, etc. all over the country.’
