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Bloomberg
Federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies across the US are bracing for the possibility of a protest by truckers that could begin this weekend and carry into March, potentially including a cross-country caravan and disruptions to cities and major transportation routes.
Although it’s still not clear how serious the threat is, the US Department of Homeland Security warned law-enforcement agencies that protests could begin February 13, when the Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles, and arrive in the nation’s capital in early March. Truckers could time their protests to coincide with President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Speech on March 1, according to a law enforcement alert.
“While 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,†according to the Department of Homeland Security alert obtained by Bloomberg News.
Social-media channels are buzzing with the plans for a convoy to protest vaccine rules in solidarity with Canadian drivers who have occupied the center of Ottawa and blocked a key border crossing to Detroit, further disrupting crucial supply chains and raising the political pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In a statement, the White House said that DHS is monitoring reports of similar convoys in the U.S., and is taking steps to ensure that they don’t disrupt lawful trade and emergency services. DHS is providing extra staff to ensure Super Bowl safety, according to the statement.