An American version of the Canadian truckers’ protest, dubbed “the MAGA Convoy” after former president Donald Trump‘s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again,” is set to begin in Los Angeles on February 25 and work its way to Washington, D.C, according to an email from the organizers.
On their journey, the organizers said there would be “many stops in between” Los Angeles and Washington D.C.
“Okay it’s our turn! The Canadians did a great job, but we’re going to boost the Freedom Convoy and include a MAGA Convoy too!,” an email requesting for funding from the organizers reads.
So far, the convoy has raised $6,250 in donations, according to its website. The donations will go towards the drivers and support staff for fuel for travel and warmth. They will also fund water, food, shelter, legal and financial aid, according to the organizers.
Newsweek has contacted the organizers for comment.
The news comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that half of the millions of dollars in donations for the Freedom Convoy in Canada came from the U.S.
The convoy originally began as a group of truckers in Western Canada who organized a protest against Trudeau’s restrictions, brought in on January 20, for unvaccinated truckers crossing the Canada-U.S. border, whereby they would have to get tested for the virus and quarantine themselves upon returning to Canada.
The truckers descended on the capital Ottawa on January 28 and blocked the city’s main roads, causing chaos and disruption.
There have been multiple arrests and Ottawa Police said in a statement on Sunday that many of the anti-vaccination demonstrators that are gathering in downtown Ottawa are exhibiting “aggressive, illegal behavior”.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency in the city on February 6, while Trudeau has condemned the protests.
There have also been protests at the border with the U.S., and a judge on Friday ordered protesters to end their blockade of the border, which has stunted the flow of goods between the two countries.
The Canada Border Services Agency and the White House said that late Sunday, the Ambassador Bridge border crossing between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan, had been re-opened after Freedom Convoy protesters blocked it. The key border crossing—which was blocked by protesters for nearly a week—sees hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of goods cross it every day.
The original Canadian convoy saw efforts worldwide to emulate the protests.
Seth Herald/Getty
