Several trucker convoys protesting coronavirus restrictions are slated to begin arriving in the D.C. area this week and continue into early March. The protests come after truckers in Canada occupied the capital city of Ottawa for three weeks to oppose vaccine mandates, which ended in widespread arrests and towing by police.
The Pentagon statement did not specify the number of Guard troops that had been requested.
Deployments of the D.C. National Guard fall under the Pentagon leadership, which late last year streamlined the activation process following a review ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The change allows Austin to directly approve urgent D.C. Guard deployments, along with mobilizations that would involve participating with civilian law enforcement. The move came nearly a year after the Jan. 6 insurrection, which saw the Pentagon criticized for the timing of deploying the D.C. Guard to the Capitol.
The Capitol Police have also been preparing for a potential protest — especially with the State of the Union coming up on March 1. Department officials briefed aides on the House Administration and Senate Rules committees last Friday, and the Capitol Police closed some roads surrounding the Capitol as well.
The USCP has largely declined to comment on specific preparations. The department said in a statement late Friday the restoration of a temporary fence around the Capitol was part of “ongoing discussions” related to State of the Union security, but it stressed a final decision had not yet been made.
