The Department of Homeland Security has sent 500 extra employees to southern California ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl to help local cops prevent possible game-day disruptions by truckers similar to ones in Canada protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday that DHS was working with the California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Police Department, and state and local authorities to help counter any protests. She said the 500 DHS workers were already “providing extensive air and maritime security resources.”
“The Department of Homeland Security is surging additional staff to its incident command post,” she said.
“So, we are in both close touch with our Canadian counterparts, also with local officials through our Department of Homeland Security,” Psaki added. “Our Secretary of Transportation is also deeply involved in this. And we’re working to address this on all fronts.”
Psaki also said the Biden administration “certainly believe[s] in peaceful protests” but added “whatever [protestors’] intended, stated purpose is, this effort is going to have a huge impact on workers and the American public. “
The so-called “Freedom Convoy” has been blocking traffic across the Ambassador Bridge for nearly a week in protest of COVID-19 mandates, forcing plant closures and work stoppages in Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, because materials can’t get across the border.
Some continued the bumper-to-bumper blockade early Saturday in protest of vaccine mandates at the Canadian border despite a court order to clear the road. A convoy in California has been described as only “aspirational” by authorities.
