DC Mayor Approves 800 National Guard Troops to Prep for Freedom Trucker Convoy

(by Theresa Monroe-Hamilton | BizPac Review) – DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is coming under intense fire for her heavy-handed reaction concerning the approval of the Pentagon’s deployment of  National Guard troops as trucker convoys begin their journey to the Capitol to protest pandemic restrictions beginning next week.

The Pentagon has approved the deployment of 700 to 800 unarmed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, a U.S. official said on Tuesday according to the Daily Mail, in the face of trucker convoys that are planning protests against pandemic restrictions beginning next week.

The convoys will descend on DC for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. Troops will ostensibly be used to help control traffic.

“The Department is analyzing a request for assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police and the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a statement.

(Video Credit: FOX 5 Washington DC)

“Those agencies have asked for National Guard personnel to provide support at traffic control points in and around the District to help the USCP [U.S. Capitol Police] and D.C. government address potential challenges stemming from possible disruptions at key traffic arteries,” he added.

Bowser’s office said in a statement Tuesday night, “The District of Columbia and its public safety agencies are aware of and prepared for potential demonstrations that may take place in the National Capital Region in the weeks ahead. Mayor Bowser is being briefed by public safety officials as we continue to monitor the situation closely, and our agencies remain in regular contact with their local, regional, and federal partners. Layered mitigation measures are being put in place, including some that will be visible to the public and others that are not. We appreciate the approval of our DC National Guard traffic support request as we pull together the resources to support our public safety personnel.”

The “American Truckers Freedom Fund,” “Peoples Convoy” and the “Convoy to Save America” are following in the footsteps of the Canadian truckers’ “Freedom Convoy” that protested against COVID mandates and government overreach. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had police break up the protests last week with more than 100 arrests. Read Full Article >