Pentagon Greenlights National Guard Troops for Potential DC Protest, Setting Up Showdown with Truckers
On Tuesday, the Pentagon reportedly greenlit National Guard troops to be in Washington, DC, ahead of potential protests by truckers who are expected to be in the area starting next week to protest coronavirus mandates.
The Associated Press first reported the development on Wednesday.
Truckers plan to descend on the nation’s capital following trucker convoys blocking roads in Canada in protest of that country’s coronavirus mandates including its vaccine mandates. The trucker convoys in Ottawa have reportedly since been cleared. Whether the truckers would be inside the nation’s capital or surround it in an area known as the Beltway remains to be seen.
According to the AP, citing the Pentagon, of the 700 unarmed troops, 400 will be from the DC National Guard and the remaining 300 will be from outside the nation’s capital. They will “assist with traffic control” and won’t take part in law enforcement or domestic-surveillance activities.”
US Capitol Police and DC’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency requested National Guard troops.
“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,” said Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby in a statement to media outlets.
In a statement to Fox’s DC affiliate, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said:
The District of Columbia and its public safety agencies are aware of and prepared for potential demonstrations that may take place in the National Capital Region in the weeks ahead. Mayor Bowser is being briefed by public safety officials as we continue to monitor the situation closely, and our agencies remain in regular contact with their local, regional, and federal partners. Layered mitigation measures are being put in place, including some that will be visible to the public and others that are not. We appreciate the approval of our DC National Guard traffic support request as we pull together the resources to support our public safety personnel.
Watch above, via MSNBC.
