In the face of trucking convoys preparing demonstrations over pandemic restrictions beginning next week, the Pentagon is set to approve the deployment of 700 to 800 unarmed national guard troops to the nation's capital, a US official said on Tuesday.

The National Guard has been requested to help the District of Columbia administration and the US Capitol Police. The troops, who are anticipated to come from the district's national guard and three states, will mostly be employed to assist control traffic, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss aid that has not yet been formally approved.

Separate truck convoys have been planned through internet forums with names like the People's Convoy and the American Truckers Freedom Fund, all with distinct beginning sites, departure dates, and itineraries, modeled after previous trucker demonstrations in Canada. Some are expected to arrive in time for Vice President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech on March 1st, while others may come later.

The DC government and Capitol police had requested national guard members "to offer support at traffic control points in and around the district" and stand ready in case of "potential disturbances at important traffic arteries," according to John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary. He, too, stated that no formal decision had been taken on the petitions.

The convoys come after a previous Canadian truckers' protest that shut down the biggest US-Canadian border crossing and surrounded Ottawa's streets for weeks in protest of government influenza restrictions. Last Monday, authorities dismantled the several blockades, making over 100 arrests.
Pepper spray and scuffles erupt during an Ottawa trucker protest as police attempt to leave the city – video
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Pepper spray and scuffles erupt during an Ottawa trucker protest as police attempt to leave the city – video

It's unclear whether any of the US convoys will attempt to close down Washington's streets in the same way that their Canadian counterparts did in Ottawa. Some convoy organizers have stated that they want to pass through the city momentarily before concentrating on closing down the Beltway, which encircles the capital.

The trucks "will NOT be driving into DC proper," according to a statement from the People's Convoy. The caravan is scheduled to leave from southern California on Wednesday and arrive in Washington, DC on March 5th.

The US convoys are requesting that official pandemic limitations such as mask regulations and vaccination requirements be lifted immediately. According to the website of the American Truckers Freedom Fund, the organization is opposing "the federal government's unscientific, unlawful overreach."
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Vaccines have shown to be extremely successful in avoiding Covid-19 infections, particularly serious sickness and mortality, and high-quality masks provide excellent protection against the disease's dissemination and transmission. As the epidemic enters its third year, public opinion, particularly among conservatives, is changing against government requirements.

The websites that organize the American trucker convoys make obvious references to the Canadian movement's origins. "Our brave and daring neighbors to the north - our Canadian brothers and sisters who led the charge," according to a statement on the People's Convoy website.

On Friday, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said his agency was closely watching the changing facts and will be dedicating more police hours in a rolling state of heightened alert over the coming weeks.

Contee and Mayor Muriel Bowser foresaw trouble many days before the Capitol building insurgency on January 6, 2021. They told locals to stay inside and requested more resources, but the Capitol police and national guard were caught off guard as Trump supporters stormed the building, killing three people and injuring many more.

The lingering effects of that disaster have spurred increased worry and conjecture about the next convoys. Bowser, on the other hand, said she was not yet asking citizens to stay away from the Capitol or the National Mall.

"Right now, we're not in a position to issue particular instructions to residents." "We'll do it," Bowser stated.