Two days ago, American truckers hit the road as the “People’s Convoy” began their 11-day trek from California to the nation’s capital. The recent “Freedom Convoy” in Canada inspired similar protests against the Covid-19 vaccine and related mandates in the United States. On Wednesday, dozens of 18-wheelers and pickups set out from Adelanto, California, which is around 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The group plans on making numerous stops across the nation over their 11-day trip as more people join the cavalcade along the way. Here’s a look at the People’s Convoy schedule and a detailed breakdown of their stops along the way.
People’s Convoy Route Stops At a Glance
- Adelanto, California
- Kingman, Arizona
- Lupton, Arizona
- Glenrio, Texas
- Elk City, Oklahoma
- Vinita, Oklahoma
- Sullivan, Missouri
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Cambridge, Ohio
- Hagerstown, Maryland
- The D.C. Beltway area
*The convoy’s route is subject to change at any time.
People’s Convoy Seeks to End National Emergency, Other Covid-Related Mandates
Organizers of the cross-country journey to Washington, D.C. have raised almost $555,000 in donations as of Thursday at 6 p.m. EST. The money will help reimburse truckers for fuel expenses and other extra costs related to their cross-country trek.
The People’s Convoy departed from Adelanto Stadium on Wednesday at noon local time. Dozens of vehicles will travel across the nation together with one common goal in mind – ending the National Emergency and any other Covid-related mandates. After 11 days on the road, they’ll finally make it to D.C. on March 5. As long as everything goes to plan, the cavalcade will roll into the D.C. Beltway area after President Joe Biden‘s annual State of the Union address.
Around 25 other smaller groups will join the convoy at different locations along their journey. When the People’s Convoy arrives in D.C., they plan on peacefully protesting in hopes of ending mandates that have been in place since the pandemic began in early 2020. Organizers argue that threats posed by the virus are minimal at this point, therefore further emergency actions are unwarranted. Last Friday, President Biden extended the National Emergency that was due to expire next week. He stated that the Covid-19 pandemic still poses a “significant risk to the public health and safety of the nation.”
In response, organizers of the convoy shared a statement about their intentions as a unified group.
“This convoy is about freedom and unity,” organizers said in a statement. “The truckers are riding unified across party and state lines and with people of all colors and creeds — Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Mormons, Agnostics, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Republican, Democrats.”
“It is now time to reopen the country,” organizers added.
Details of the Convoy’s Route and Stops
Day 1 – Wednesday, February 23
The People’s Convoy departed from Adelanto, CA at noon. The group drove a little more than 240 miles east in the first leg of their journey. They stopped in Kingman, AZ for the night.
Departed : Adelanto, CA
Arrived : Kingman, AZ
Day 2 – Thursday, February 24
The cavalcade continued east across the state of Arizona on I-40 for a little over 300 miles. They stopped on the eastern border in Lupton, AZ overnight.
Departed : Kingman, AZ
Arrived : Lupton, AZ
Day 3: Friday, February 25
Next, the truckers are staying on I-40 for around 375 more miles before staying the night in Glenrio, TX
Departed : Lupton, AZ
Arriving : Glenrio, TX
Day 4: Saturday, February 26
Once again, the People’s Convoy will stay on I-40 for a 215-mile trip to Elk City, OK.
Departing : Glenrio, TX
Arriving : Elk City, OK
Day 5: Sunday, February 27
Another stretch within the same state that lasts around 280 miles. The group will head from west Oklahoma to northeast Oklahoma.
Departing : Elk City, OK
Arriving : Vinita, OK
Day 6: Monday, February 28
The People’s Convoy will continue to drive northeast into Missouri for around 270 miles before stopping just short of St. Louis.
Departing : Vinita, OK
Arriving : Sullivan, MO
Day 7: Tuesday, March 1
Following another 315-mile trek, the convoy will take an extra day to rest in the only major city on their journey before arriving in D.C.
Departing : Sullivan, MO
Arriving : Indianapolis, IN
Day 8: Wednesday, March 2
The truckers will pause for the day to rest in Indianapolis, IN for a second night.
Departing : Indianapolis, IN
Arriving : Indianapolis, IN
Day 9: Thursday, March 3
The convoy will get back on the road and head east on I-70 for around 250 miles to eastern Ohio.
Departing : Indianapolis, IN
Arriving : Cambridge, OH
Day 10: Friday, March 4
For the last large stretch of the People’s Convoy’s cross-country trek, the group will drive just over 250 miles to Hagerstown, Maryland.
Departing : Cambridge, OH
Arriving : Hagerstown, MD
Day 11: Saturday, March 5
After 11 days on the road, the convoy will drive the last 75 miles to the nation’s capital to begin their protests in D.C.
Departing : Hagerstown, MD
Arriving : Washington, D.C.
D.C. Officials Prepare For the Convoy’s Presence in the Nation’s Capital
Americans across the country have banded together and taken inspiration from Canada’s recent trucker protests. Protestors took over Ottawa and set up blockades in Canada’s capital as they demonstrated for weeks. In fact, police and protestors clashed as time went on, which led to more than 200 arrests. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau eventually invoked rarely used emergency powers that brought the protests to an end this past weekend.
Organizers in America have stated that’s not their intention though, and that the convoy is a unified group simply protesting for “freedom.” However, D.C. officials are concerned that protestors could disrupt traffic around the Beltway and near the Capitol building. Some are even fearful of another similar scenario to the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Therefore D.C. leaders and Capitol police requested the deployment of the National Guard.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of 700 to 800 National Guard troops. The guardsmen will be unarmed and will not be allowed to arrest protestors, but they can report any issues to local authorities. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby recently shared that the National Guard’s deployment is “to provide support at traffic control points in and around [the capital].” Further, Kirby also explained that troops will be ready for “possible disruptions at key traffic arteries.”
In addition, Kirby revealed that around 50 “large tactical vehicles” will be deployed along with the troops. The Metropolitan Police Department of D.C. is also increasing its presence in the area as of early next month. The department is adding 500 officers per day in early March. Officials will also reinstall the fence that surrounded the Capitol complex in 2021 as an additional precaution.