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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is “monitoring” reports of a major trucker convoy heading to Washington, D.C., in advance of President Biden‘s State of the Union address on March 1.
After the so-called “Freedom Convoy” was broken up by police in Ottawa, Canada, D.C. is taking steps to prepare for the possibility that thousands of truckers will descend on the U.S. Capitol in the coming days. The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) is handling the security preparations around Congress.
“We are monitoring the situation closely but deferred to the USCP, which is in charge of security,” Drew Hammill, spokesperson for Pelosi, D-Calif., told Fox News Digital.
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The U.S. Capitol Police said last week they were “aware” of a Canada-style trucker protest coming to Washington and are making plans to both “facilitate” First Amendment protest activity while working with law enforcement agencies and the D.C. National Guard to prepare for Biden’s major address.
“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 U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Friday. “The temporary inner-perimeter fence is part of those ongoing discussions and remains an option, however at this time no decision has been made.”
Police declined to offer additional on the record statements on Tuesday when asked by Fox News Digital.
Children play outside the Parliament of Canada at the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa.
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
D.C. has requested support from the National Guard in anticipation of the massive convoy, a government source told Fox News on Tuesday. The D.C. National Guard (DCNG) can provide up to 400 troops, if approved.
An organization called KNK Foundation requested a protest permit from the National Park Service to allow 1,000 to 3,000 to gather in the nation’s capital “in support of convoys in Canada.”
State and local law enforcement have so far been unable to secure the necessary number of tow trucks to clear the anticipated tractor-trailers, according to the government source, so the National Guard will create strategic road blocks throughout D.C.
The plan is to keep truckers away from the heart of D.C. and specifically, Capitol Hill. The effort could mark the biggest security challenge in Washington since last year’s riot.
President Joe Biden arrives with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to speak from Statuary Hall. (Bill Clark/Pool via AP)
In preparation, USCP put officers on 12-hour shifts and security officials plan to raise fence around the Capitol again next week prior to State of the Union on March 1, Fox News has learned.
Meanwhile, the National Guard troops are “encamped,” meaning they are not necessarily physically stationed at locations, but are on standby and prepped for the mission, a government source told Fox News. They are awaiting approval from the Department of Defense (DOD).
“Pending DOD approval, DCNG stands ready to provide support to the citizens of the District as directed by the secretary of defense,” the D.C. National Guard said in a statement.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement that the department has received a request for assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police and the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.
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“Those agencies have asked for National Guard personnel to provide support at traffic control points in and around the District to help the USCP and DC government address potential challenges stemming from possible disruptions at key traffic arteries,” Kirby said. “No decisions have been made yet to approve these requests.”
Protesters gather at the Buffalo Peace Bridge near the U.S. and Canada border.
(Fox News Digital)
Meantime, FOX5 DC interviewed Bob Bolus, an organizer of the coming D.C. convoy, who said he heard hundreds of people were interested in taking part in shutting down the Capital Beltway in protest of wide-ranging issues such as fuel prices, vaccine requirements and immigration.
“I’ll give you an analogy of that of a giant boa constrictor,” Bolus said. “That basically squeezes you, chokes you and it swallows you, and that’s what we’re going to do the D.C.”
“Freedom Convoy” truckers had been protesting in Canada for weeks against coronavirus restrictions and vaccine mandates and caused a temporary blockade of the busy Ambassador Bridge border crossing between Windsor and Detroit.
A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment on preparations for the trucker convoy in Washington.
Fox News’ Stephen Sorace, Gillian Turner and Chad Pergram contributed this report.
