After truckers held supporters of freedom spellbound for a week as they trekked across Canada to protest the government’s vaccine mandates, indications are emerging that America might be catching the fever to show coast-to-coast resistance.
Former President Donald Trump gave the “Freedom Convoy” truckers and their supporters a shout-out Saturday night during his massive rally in Conroe, Texas.
“We want those great Canadian truckers to know that we are with them all the way,” he told the crowd.
Trump said the truckers and their legions of supporters were “doing more to defend American freedom than our own leaders by far.”
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., had voiced his support for the convoy in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday.
“We need to see more of this here in the U.S. … Let’s support these truckers fighting for freedom, fighting as patriots in their country and patriots in America,” he said. “We need more people willing to push back and say enough is enough to the nonsense.”
He might get his wish.
A Facebook group called Convoy to DC 2022 had more than 90,000 members as of Monday morning.
“We are part of many large groups who believe in our founding fathers. We believe everyone has a voice. We support our freedom. Help us spread the word about this group and together we all can make it a better place … God Bless America,” the group’s description reads.
A social media video that featured a man identified only as “Brian Von D” promised action, although no date was mentioned.
BREAKING: Facebook group “Convoy to DC 2022” has announced an American Trucker Convoy Protest that will start in CA and in end in DC pic.twitter.com/ZzdUHKGiso
— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) January 29, 2022
“Just know that America is next. We’ve given y’all time. We’ve given y’all a heads up,” he said.
“Whoever joins it, joins it. And it will start in California and it will end in D.C. And we’re going to stay there just like Canada is doing.
“We’re done with the mandates. We’re done with the government telling us what to do. We will continue and we will follow, just like the rest of the world, on these trucker protests. And they will be 100 percent legal. They will abide by the law.”
America was not alone in being moved by the Canadian protest.
Protests work!
The Truckers are the key!
Canadian Truckers have inspired Europeans to join the Freedom Convoy! 🇨🇦🛻🛻🛻🍁#FreedomConvoyCanada2022 #FreedomConvoy2022 #TruckersForFreedom #TruckersForFreedom2022 #IStandWithTrudeau #Coward19 #CowardOfTheCottage pic.twitter.com/AoSwwdR1ok
— Marjoriena 🍁Fringe Minority w/ Unacceptable Views (@mhereandthere) January 30, 2022
#Australia started a trucker convoy! #TruckersForFreedom pic.twitter.com/MdBbAvbeAX
— Alistair Lowe (@Canadia56668243) January 26, 2022
As others made their plans, the Canadians said their protest wasn’t over.
When the convoy left British Columbia last week, the plan had been to enter Ottawa on Saturday and then disperse. But that was before the convoy was received with cheers as the trucks rolled across Canada.
B.J. Dichter, who raised funds for the Freedom Convoy, said on Sunday that it will not be leaving Ottawa anytime soon, according to the Independent.
“Right now, yeah, it’s really cold, but we hang in there, the days are going to get longer and we take this block party and put it into overdrive,” Dichter said.
“We’re in this one for the long haul. We don’t have a time limit,” he said.