Thursday, February 10, 2022
Supply Chain
Trucker protest could begin on Super Bowl Sunday in Los Angeles, officials warn
Officials are warning that a trucker convoy could disrupt the Super Bowl this weekend near Los Angeles and make its way to Washington, D.C., for the State of the Union, according to a Department of Homeland Security bulletin obtained by NBC News.
The bulletin, which described the possible protest as "aspirational," said the convoy could cause havoc on transportation routes to other U.S. cities.
A possible destination is Washington, where President Joe Biden is set to deliver the State of the Union address March 1, the bulletin says.
The bulletin was first reported by Yahoo News.
The warning, issued Tuesday to federal, state and local law enforcement officials, comes as a key U.S.-Canada crossing has been shut down by the "Freedom Convoy," as the protest by hundreds of truckers and others who converged on Ottawa, Canada's capital, is known.
The protest began last month in opposition to vaccination requirements for cross-border drivers, although demonstrators' focus expanded in recent weeks as right-wing figures and activists in the U.S. and elsewhere offered support.
Protesters have blocked streets in Ottawa and snarled traffic as authorities have cut off their fuel access and arrested nearly two dozen people accused of "unlawful demonstrations."
The Ottawa Police Service said Tuesday that it had opened dozens more investigations into allegations of hate crimes, property damage and theft.
The bulletin warning of a U.S. protest says there are no indications that violence is planned or that domestic extremists are calling for violence. But if hundreds of trucks converge on key cities, the protest could disrupt transportation and emergency services through gridlock and counterprotests.
Law enforcement agencies have seen an uptick in references to the potential convoy on social media and in recent posts discussing how such a protest could affect Super Bowl security, the warning says.
The bulletin also notes that there has been no rise in hotel reservations in the Washington, D.C., area.
Source: NBC News
