State Police cautions about traffic concerns as anti-COVID-mitigation convoy to hit Illinois
The Illinois State Police warned motorists of potential traffic flow issues as “The People’s Convoy” passes through Illinois on Tuesday, potentially causing traffic delays and traffic safety issues.
The People’s Convoy is an anti-COVID-mandate protest group of truckers traveling from California to Washington D.C.. Along the way, they’re stopping in cities to hold rallies.
Specifically, the group is demanding that the declaration of national emergency concerning COVID-19 be lifted immediately and “our cherished constitution reign supreme,” according to the website.
On Feb. 18, President Joe Biden announced that the national emergency declared on March 13, 2020 must continue in effect beyond March 1, 2022. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday that under new guidelines, 70% of Americans can stop wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding crowded indoor spaces. Counties have been instructed to consider three measures to assess local risk: COVID-related hospital admissions over the previous week, the percentage of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients, and new COVID cases per 100,000 people over the previous week.
According to the route map on the People’s Convoy website, the group is not planning on stopping in any Illinois cities, though they note the route is subject to change.. They’re set to spend the night in Sullivan, Missouri on Monday before driving to Indianapolis on Tuesday.
The most direct route between the two cities would take the convoy through St. Louis and the metro-east along I-44 East, I-55 North and I-70 East.
“Though the Illinois State Police respects the rights of citizens to express their opinions in a lawful manner, there is great concern with any event that is designed to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic,” said Illinois State Police Division of Patrol Colonel Margaret McGreal in a press release, which does not specifically name the People’s Convoy.
“ … Those who choose to participate in events that intentionally endanger the public and violate Illinois law will be subject to the enforcement of applicable laws and could potentially be held liable for traffic crashes occurring as a result of their actions,” McGreal said.
A similar group, called the “Freedom Convoy,” began protesting Canadian mitigations, such as vaccine requirements and travel restrictions, in Ottawa, Canada, in late January. By mid-February, the group was so large and disruptive to major border highways that both the Ottawa government and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared national emergencies. The protesters were cleared out in late February.
The People’s Convoy started in California on Wednesday and is scheduled to arrive in Washington D.C, on Saturday, March 5.
This story was originally published February 26, 2022 at 4:53 PM.
