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Members of the failed People’s Convoy returned to Washington D.C. this morning and held up traffic around the Beltway for a grand total of 30 minutes. Rebranded as the 1776 Restoration Movement, the group’s leader David ‘Santa’ Riddell celebrated the “attack.”
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“We have literally attacked 270 into Washington, D.C., 7 [sic] into Washington, D.C., 95 North into Washington, D.C., and 95 South into Washington, D.C.–all with relatively the same amount of time.”
The latest annoyance protest was a move to “take back the Republic” and “stand up to tyranny,” as promoted by MAGA so-called patriots.
Join the 1776 Restoration Movement in DC on July 4, 2022. Taking back the Republic. Stand up to Tyranny. Demand redress. It is our duty.
— Ultra MAGA 1776 Restoration Patriot (@RSMeyers1776) June 28, 2022
The group known as “the peoples convoy” who failed to achieve anything their last time around. Is now called the 1776 Restoration Movement. They failed yet again today so they’ll probably have another new name soon. https://t.co/jhRxuE4YYn
— Not a Paytriot (@stupidelephant4) July 4, 2022
The resurrected convoy occupied three lanes on either side of 1-95 in defiance of police threats to arrest those obstructing traffic, Riddell had promised the convoy’s planned protest would be akin to January 6th and D-Day.
It appears to have fallen significantly short of either of those historic markers – ending after an uneventful half hour. Live streams on YouTube showed what looked like little more than what many would consider a typical rush hour commute. While the truckers may have been amused, beltway drivers – not so much.
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The 1776 Restoration Movement "fighting for our freedoms" take away our freedom to travel on public highways blocking lanes of traffic to fight DC?
Fake Christian grifters who sit in a parking lot asking for money, food and gifts. #Convoywatch #1776RestorationMovement #1776RM
— Dan 🇺🇸 (@Dman1_1976) July 1, 2022
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Covidiots blocking major road in DC because of #freedumb #convoywatch https://t.co/PqSrkib3RJ
— Flagmantle (@joodoff) July 4, 2022
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In May, the former People’s Convoy ended its protest in shame after infighting within the group and after ultimately being evicted from their home base at the Hagerstown, MD Speedway. Circling the beltway for nearly three months, the convoy accomplished little more than wasting gas. A copycat of the marginally more successful Canadian trucker convoy, the group’s anti-covid mandate protest lost steam when coronavirus restrictions were largely lifted across the country as vaccinations took hold. The protesters’ attempts to shift their mission to “taking back BLM Plaza” was also a major bust.
When the truckers headed back west – allegedly to protest legislation they deemed to be tyrannical – they were met with egg-throwing teens when blocking a residential street. So they set out back East – again.
In early May, 16 members of the People’s Convoy filed suit against the city of D.C. for what they claimed was a violation of their First Amendment rights because blockades were set up by the Metro Police Department to keep the truckers from obstructing traffic to and from the city. According to the suit:
“MPD failed to provide Plaintiffs with adequate notice, an opportunity to be heard, and substantial evidence to support their decision to prohibit Plaintiffs from entering the District of Columbia and refusal to allow Plaintiffs to exercise their First Amendment rights.”
While it’s uncertain what they expect to get out of the suit, from the looks of today’s meager demonstration, they seem to be exercising their first amendment rights just fine. And with more protests scheduled for later today, I imagine we haven’t seen the last of these so-called “patriots.”
Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick
