Monday evening’s rush hour proved even more jammed than usual after a so-called 'trucker convoy' took to the highways surrounding Washington, DC to cause major traffic delays in protests of COVID-19 restrictions.
The drivers made their way onto I-395, I-695 and I-295 after circling Maryland’s beltway once on March 3.
“I believe we’re making a good statement today,” asserted one driver, who suggested that they were “right in the swamp now and creating a horrible mess down here.”
Added road closures have not helped to alleviate the situation.
DC’s Metropolitan Police (MPD) shut down streets and highway exits to limit the group's access to the downtown DC’s area.
Alert DC tweeted road closures, which were lifted some hours later, at around 3:30 p.m. local time. The traffic app suggested delaying travel or using the metrorail, as alternatives to the heavy onslaught of traffic.
Some of the participants in the event claimed that they would not leave the highway, adding that police were responsible for traffic delays.
On February 23, a group of drivers made their way from California to Washington, DC, in an attempt to protest COVID-19 restrictions, despite the fact that most governments have already lifted those restrictions. Some state governors have denied US President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal employees by barring a requirement of proof of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The so-called convoy applied to hold a two-week protest at the National Mall, starting Monday but were partially denied. The National Park Service said that the area had already been booked by other events, and reportedly said they would work with the group to find them another location. The group then withdrew their application on Sunday night.
The optimistically-named 'People’s Convoy' which includes private and commercial vehicles decked out in pro-Trump or anti-Biden signage, American flags and writing on their car windows, caused tension on the highway. Reporter Zachary Petrizzo said he witnessed the protesters boxing in commuters on the Beltway early Monday, as well as observing one truck driver who allegedly punched a commuter’s car window.
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