ABOVE: Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, appeared on the Wednesday edition of CBN News’ Faith Nation to talk about the trucker convoy. Faith Nation is seen weekdays on the CBN News Channel.
Thousands of truckers are heading to Washington, D.C. over the next several days after many men and women from around the country gathered in California to form a convoy to protest COVID restrictions. They’re calling it “The People’s Convoy.”
“What we’re looking for is to end the emergency declaration – to end the mandates on the vaccine and the mask mandates, especially for our health care workers, our law enforcement officers, our federal employees, and of course, our military personnel,” said Ohio truck driver Brian Brase.
A group from Pennsylvania is just one of several additional convoys that are planning to join in, heading south on Interstate 81 from Scranton.
Police in the Capitol are preparing for major traffic disruptions this week, much like those in Canada following a month of protests.
Some drivers plan to arrive in time for President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. The various groups involved are only loosely connected, but the main organizers have said they do not plan to enter the District of Columbia.
U.S. Capitol Police released a statement last week saying the department is aware of the plans for convoys to arrive around the time of Biden’s message.
“The United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service have been closely working together to plan for the upcoming State of the Union,” the statement reads. “The temporary inner-perimeter fence is part of those ongoing discussions and remains an option, however at this time no decision has been made.”
Security around the Capitol is ramping up with 800 National Guard troops expected to be deployed ahead of March 1.
In addition to COVID restrictions, convoy organizers say they’re standing up against sky-rocketing gas prices and controversial academic agendas like Critical Race Theory.
But the primary organizers insist the protest will be peaceful and hope it sends a message to the White House.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins told CBN’s Faith Nation that he is encouraged by the people who are defending their belief system.
“I think from the truckers’ standpoint and those advocating for freedom, I think it will be peaceful… depending on how the authorities respond to it and some may try to infiltrate. Freedom is on the roll. We’re seeing it with truckers, we’re seeing it in minivans with moms going to school board meetings. I’m at a hopeful point in America that we have people that said ‘enough is enough.”
He continued, “Whether it’s our children being indoctrinated in schools or it’s our freedoms… being forced to wear these masks and get vaccinated against our will. It is time and this is encouraging that Americans still have the ability, but also the fortitude to peacefully demonstrate for our freedoms.”
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