Highways / Interstates

Large Anti-COVID-19 Mandate Convoy Expected on Beltway Saturday Morning,  Hundreds of Vehicles Already Gathered in Hagerstown Friday Evening  

By Patrick Herron

A convoy of up to 2,000 vehicles is expected to leave Hagerstown tomorrow morning and head towards Washington, DC to protest COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates.  According to Zachary Petrizzo of the Daily Beast, “the People’s Convoy here in Hagerstown Maryland is much more organized then other trucker protests we have seen. At least 120 diesel trucks and hundreds of SUV/military-type vehicles/cars. They could easily shut down the Beltway in the morning.”

Similar planned convoys over the past week never materialized. On February 23, a convoy organized by Bob Bolus out of Pennsylvania was called off after less than ten vehicles participated.

MoCo resident and Maryland Gubernatorial Candidate Kyle Sefcik attempted to organize a “Freedom Convoy” out of California that disbanded after only a few days. Sefcik held a rally in DC on Tuesday that was poorly attended.

https://twitter.com/_90sdimples_/status/1499798377533513729?s=21

On Thursday, Maryland State Police released the following statement:

The Maryland State Police continue to monitor developments in preparation of potential commercial, recreational and passenger vehicle convoys planned by drivers from across the country.

Law enforcement, transportation and emergency management agencies in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. are jointly assessing the situation as it develops. Agencies will allocate personnel and additional resources based upon analysis of the situation to ensure safety on our roadways and minimize potential traffic disruptions throughout the region.

In addition to road patrol troopers, troopers from our Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division and Automotive Safety Enforcement Division are prepared to assist public safety partners in Maryland and neighboring states to address any violations of law and to maintain the free flow of traffic.

Citizens are also reminded of the potential for misinformation and disinformation that could be spread on social media in regards to potential protests. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in the region will provide pertinent updates as needed.