White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the U.S. is âcloselyâ monitoring reports that a trucker convoy is headed to Washington, D.C. to protest COVID-19 restrictions.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Psaki said, âWeâve actually been monitoring this closely. The Department of Homeland Security and the administration are tracking reports of a potential convoy that may be planning to several U.S. cities including Washington, D.C.â
âWe have been workingâŚclosely with our state and local partners to continuously assess the threat environment and keep our communities safe. And our efforts include enhanced intelligence sharing and a critical incident response plan for the U.S. Capitol, a regional security assessment and simulation experiment that developed data-driven recommendations to bolster regional security,â she added.
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Psakiâs comments come amid reports that the nationâs capital could soon see Protests similar to what Canada experienced when demonstrators shut down streets and border crossings.
Bob Bolus told Fox 5, an organizer of one of the convoys of truckers heading to Washington, D.C, âWe will be along the Beltway where the Beltway will be shut down.â
He continued, âIâll give you an analogy of that of a giant boa constrictor that basically squeezes you, chokes you, and it swallows you, and thatâs what weâre going to do to D.C.â
âThere will be a lane open for emergency vehicles, theyâll be able to get in and out and all that,â Bolus added. âWe will not compromise anybodyâs safety or health, one way or the other. As far as if they canât get to work, geez, thatâs too bad.â
Earlier this month, a bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security said the agency âhas received reports of truck drivers planning to potentially block roads in major metropolitan cities in the United States in protest of, among other things, vaccine mandates for truck drivers.â
âWhile there are currently no indications of planned violence, if hundreds of trucks converge in a major metropolitan city, the potential exists to severely disrupt transportation, federal government operations, commercial facilities, and emergency services through gridlock and potential counterprotests,â it added.
Although there were not reports of widespread reports of violence during the Protests in Canada, U.S. officials have been warning about what they say is a growing domestic terrorism threat. Security concerns after the Jan. 6 riot led to the building being surrounded by protective fencing for six months last year.
However, the fencing will be reinstalled around the Capitol ahead of President Joe Bidenâs Mar. 1 State of the Union address as law enforcement prepare for a potential trucker protest.
