D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton said a truckers’ protest, expected in the Washington area next week, may be losing some steam, but U.S. Capitol Police aren’t taking any chances and are planning, along with the U.S. Secret Service, robust security for next Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
Norton received a briefing Wednesday from U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger. She said police are mapping a security plan designed to ensure safe access in and out of the U.S. Capitol for members, staff and guests.
She said intelligence collected so far doesn’t substantiate some threats that have appeared on social media.
“They don’t believe the chatter is particularly informative, like, ‘There might be gridlock in the region or disrupting the State of the Union.’ They don’t have anything concrete enough on that, though they are listening to the chatter very closely,” Norton said.
A small group of vehicles, including one tractor-trailer, was scheduled to arrive in the D.C. area Wednesday evening from Scranton, Pennsylvania, led by organizer Bob Bolus, who said there were about 20 to 25 vehicles that left with him.
Bolus said the group is not trying to disrupt anything. “When we get to the Beltway, we’re coming there to make a statement. We’re just going to do our protest.”
Several of the vehicles have signs that say “Save America” and flags that show support for former President Donald Trump.
One tractor trailer and several vehicles are taking part in the caravan. It is at the I-95 South Maryland Welcome Center rest stop. From here the organizer says they’re headed to the Beltway for an “afternoon drive.” @WTOP pic.twitter.com/cYm999yCWT
— Mike Murillo (@MikeMurilloWTOP) February 23, 2022
Other convoys have similar protests planed over the next week or so to protest COVID-19 restrictions, among other things.
“Four or more (protesting truck convoys) were coming just a week ago. Only California appears to be on its way, and they say they’re not interested in being in D.C. but want to be in the area,” Norton said.
Police aren’t sure whether momentum may build for the trucking protest in the days ahead, Norton said, so law enforcement officials are planning heightened security, which could include temporary security fencing around the Capitol.
“They are being prepared for somehow this catching on. It doesn’t appear to have caught on as much as it did in Canada, and one reason for that may be they don’t have a central theme,” Norton said. “The masks are coming off all around the country, so it’s not clear what it is they say they want; therefore, it’s not clear how many will come.”
Some of the people from the Scranton group listed high fuel cost, the decrease in “rights and freedoms” and the regulations in the trucking industry as some of the things they are also protesting against.
Holmes said some 500 National Guard troops drawn from D.C., Maryland and Virginia will be deployed for traffic control around the Capitol.
Norton gave good marks to police security plans described to her by Manger.
“I think they’ve learned from Canada; they’ve learned from Jan. 6, so I felt that Chief Manger was very well briefed and very specific. It seems to be this is not another Jan. 6. We already see people falling off from coming … they’re (police) keeping their guard up as if this was going to be a major inroad into the nation’s capital,” Norton said.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report from Savage, Maryland.
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