Business in DC this Weekend? Prepare for Delays
If you have business in our Nation’s Capital, or are just trying to get to work today, prepare for delays. As detailed by multiple news organizations, the “Truckers Ride for the Constitution” convoy slated to take place on the Capital Beltway is still a go, but demonstrators are not planning to purposefully clog the roadway, according to an organizer.
Zeeda Andrews says she is expecting 3,000 big rig operators to participate in the convoy, which is scheduled to reach the Beltway by 7 a.m. Friday and continue in some capacity through Sunday. However, they are only planning to occupy one lane.
Some media outlets reported earlier in the week that truckers planned to either park on the Beltway or take up three full lanes of the road. Andrews says the person who made those claims was not authorized to speak on behalf of the movement.
Truckers are being asked to meet at a travel plaza off exit 98 on Interstate-95 in Doswell, Va., near King’s Dominion, and decorate their rigs with Constitution-related signs and old glory flags.
Sgt. Mark Black, spokesman for the Maryland State Police, says authorities are aware of the planned demonstration and are prepared to help handle it. Virginia State Police say additional troopers will be on patrol this weekend to respond to any incidents that may arise.
WNEW’s John Domen, who began following the trucks as they drove north past a truck stop on Interstate-95 in Dumfries, Va., said trucks were taking up all four lanes of the Inner Loop of the Beltway in Annandale, Va. and had slowed to 10 mph, blocking traffic from getting by.
There are many names associated with the weekend-long display, including “Ride for the Constitution” and “Truckers to Shutdown America.”
The Truckers Ride For The Constitution Facebook fanpage has more than 123,000 likes. The Trucker’s Ride to DC event page notes that more than 1,300 people plan to attend, though Andrews says she’s expecting more.
Some of the trucks are displaying flags and signs with a ‘#T2SDA’ hashtag as part of the demonstration that organizers say is a show of solidarity against what Andrews sees as an assault by the federal government on the U.S. Constitution.
“What should we do now?” “What should we say?”