"Convoy" protests - if it happens here, what should be done?

[orangecrush]

The Canada "protests" are already causing supply chain disruption in Canada and the U.S .

DHS has issued an alert for the possibility of this in major U.S. cities.

How should this be handled here?

26 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Federal troops
	1 (4%)
	Action by truckers unions
	0 (0%)
	Confiscate rigs
	18 (69%)
	Loss of CDL
	3 (12%)
	Other (please explain)
	4 (15%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[LakeVermilion]

1. Treat them as alleged criminals...

impound their trucks and everything inside the vehicles.

That's what they do with suspected criminals.

[Wicked Blue]

2. National Guard and FBI

I don't think the military should be used because of posse comitatus

[brooklynite]

3. Before people fixate on this too much....

You can get away with a stunt once. The second time, people are ready for you.

Driving a truck is not illegal. Driving a truck in a convoy is not illegal. Blocking traffic IS illegal and if this happens in a major City, the police will be prepared to arrest the drivers and confiscate their vehicles.

[Mad_Machine76]

6. Which should be easy

because many states already passed a rash of laws to criminalize it (intending to snag progressive groups not right wing groups of course)

[3Hotdogs]

12. Ottowa found it is not easy to tow the trucks. They have locking air brakes and all 18 wheels have

to be disengaged before it can be towed. That takes several hours per truck.

Then, the towing companies don't want to get involved because they will lose future trucker customers.


Its a shit-show.

Summonses have been issued but will the "patriots" show up to pay the fines?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

17. +100.

This owner/operator agrees with you and if those idiots want to start something, then myself and most of the other independents I know will refuse to participate and just head home or avoid loads that will take us to cities that this is happening.

[bullwinkle428]

23. I hate that these goddamn yahoos are making guys like you have to drive

5 hours out of the way to a different border crossing; essentially, robbing you personally of time and money when you are just looking to do your freaking job.

Ontario-based trucker Randy James Ulch said he was originally slated to cross the Canadian border via the Ambassador Bridge with his load of frozen chicken from Alabama. His carrier then redirected him to the Blue Water Bridge before changing to the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, New York.

“Now, I’m driving five hours out of my way just to deliver this load,” Ulch said.

The disruption is hitting the cross-border supply chain, with some auto manufacturers already slowing down production. Meanwhile, truckers and carriers are growing increasingly frustrated.

“I just wish the government would deal with it,” said Dan Einwechter, CEO of Ontario-based Challenger Motor Freight, one of Canada’s largest trucking companies. “Let’s get back to doing the trade that we want to do. The government needs to stand up and show who was in charge.”

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/frustration-grows-as-ambassador-bridge-protest-disrupts-cross-border-trucking-supply-chain

[MarineCombatEngineer]

24. Yeah, it's definitely bullshit,

it costs time and money and most independents are on a tight budget and can't really afford this crap.

I myself don't cross international borders, I prefer to stay in the continental US, but I know several of my friends have had problems trying to cross the major crossings.

[Mary in S. Carolina]

31. Did you have a change of heart brooklynite?

See your earlier posts???? Confiscate their vehicles because you don't like their politics? The vehicles are only parked why do they need to be arrested?

Mary in S. Carolina (883 posts)
7. Strip them of their License to Drive

They need a commercial license to drive - strip them of their license.



brooklynite (75,975 posts)
10. Canada doesn't have our First Amendment...

...but you're advocating taking away their livelihood because you don't like their politics.




brooklynite (75,975 posts)
9. The trucks are parked; how is that creating an unsafe manner for insurance.

[Lovie777]

4. The Federal Government should treat this as a potential coup . ....

take nothing for granted. When you see GQP congresscritters applauding this like Hawley on 1/6/2021, games over, protect the United States of America.

[Karma13612]

5. Not sure how that works with "Federal Troops"

How about just plain ‘authorities’.

Considering this involves goods needed in the US, they should come down with the full weight of law enforcement to end the obstruction if it continues and affects our country. Our automotive industry constipation right now is bad enuf. I just started looking for a new car and am floored at the lack of options, and the cost of vehicles right now.

If this were protesters at a gas pipeline, the interested corporate overlords would have already sent their goons and gotten plenty of sympathetic Head-cracking LEO to intervene.

Send a strong message that this will not be tolerated.

[3Hotdogs]

8. Truckers have a manifest. If the trucker driving to a site of a future insurrection can shoe a valid

document to show he is going to a legitimate stop. he can proceed...

[Polybius]

38. There's no law that says truckers can't just go for a joyride from NY to CA

So it would be struck down in court.

[3Hotdogs]

45. During a declaration of emergency?

[Polybius]

47. Maybe during that

I was thinking without a declaration of emergency.

[orangecrush]

29. The Taft Harley act

Was used against striking longshoremen by the Bush administration on a bogus "National Security" pretext.

I am sure there are regulations in place regarding our highways when a genuine risk to national security is involved.

[Historic NY]

7. Tanks there should be tanks....

[sarisataka]

40. Nuke them from orbit

It's the only way to be sure

[sop]

9. DeSantis passed a law criminalizing street protests blocking traffic in Florida, giving immunity

to drivers who run down the protesters. The law targeted BLM protesters, but when Cuban-Americans (protesting something-or-other) shut down expressways in Miami, DeSantis did nothing.

[Mr. Ected]

10. The difference between here and Canada, though

If action is taken here to seize the rigs, it could become violent. A Venn Diagram of right wing gun nuts spouting 2n Amendment bullshit and these protestors are probably fairly closely aligned.

[orangecrush]

32. If it becomes violent

Who wins?

Federal troops, National Guard, State Police, or an idiot with a gun in his truck with criminal intent, who has no business behind the wheel of a rig in the first place?

[CrackityJones75]

11. Confiscate and loss of cdl

Has to be both.

[dalton99a]

14. +1

[dewsgirl]

16. I think it matters if they are owner operators.

Just losing the CDL will destroy their careers. I know a handful of both, most of which are not the type to get involved in something like this.
My ex would never take the chance of losing his CDL, whether he was an owner operator at the time, or not,

[MarineCombatEngineer]

25. This owner/operator fully agrees with you,

as does every independent I know.

[Bettie]

13. Confiscation and Loss of CDL

seems like the two go together.

[2naSalit]

19. Since hose who actually bring trucks with them...

Will be owner operators, it will cost them dearly. A highly regulated system that will be handled differently here, I hope.

Consequences must take place for these assholes.

[fightforfreedom]

15. Put large nails under their tires.

[2naSalit]

18. All of the Above.

[Moostache]

20. Arrest, impound/confiscate rigs

Fuck them.
Hard.

[usedtobedemgurl]

21. Go to the company names on the trucks.

Tell them we are trying to figure out who to arrest, are they complicit, or are they filling out forms, stating the trucks are now stolen property.

If the truck is owned by the driver, the stock in it sure isn’t. If the stock has been delivered, and the truck is theirs, arrest them and, yes, their license should be taken away - after a hearing.

Put pressure on the companies to say the truckers are needed and have x number of hours to get back to the facilities, or they are fired.

Look at how many anti-vaxxers caved when their job was threatened. Do this at one or two “protests” and I bet you won’t have many more problems.

It is crazy to me, as a parent, that they are letting the children get away with all of this. The children need to be put in a corner, for a serious time out

[maxrandb]

36. Ding! Ding!

I have said this before but

None of this will change. The racism, fascism, misogyny, hatred and white supremacy...NOTHING will change, unless and until we make racism, fascism, misogyny, hatred and white supremacy unprofitable to the corporations and businesses that fund and enable it"

The companies whose names appear on these trucks, every last one of them, should be boycotted to ruin.

Corporations that donates to politicians that support insurrection should be boycotted to ruin.

Everything else is just nibbling at the margins.

[NurseJackie]

22. Treat it the same as a terrorist threat to shut down the power grid...

... or any other vital service. Send the fuckers to Guantanamo.

[thatdemguy]

26. I think its funny

That people here are worried about it getting violent. But threats of confiscation of the truck and loosing the cdl, sure seems like a great way to make sure there is violence.

The truckers in Canada are mad because they say the requirements are killing their jobs ( no, not getting the shots is ) but yet some here want to make sure people loose their livelihood. Plus we have enough problems with shortages right now, and what its doing to the country's feelings. Taking a % or two more trucks off the road, can make it even worse.

Also if they shut down cities, you know here there will be trump and confederate flags, let the people who are effected see who is doing it. A shut down in a city for a week happens everytime there is a big snow storm. As we know must wingnuts have a short attention span, they will sit in the truck for a week and be bored and go home.

To me its simple, ticket tow and impound. Heck if it costs me 250 bucks for my car to be towed and impounded, a truck has to be at least a grand for just the tow plus any tickets or fines.

[orangecrush]

33. Let them fuck around and find out.

Problem solved

[kentuck]

27. Impound the trucks.

That will make them think twice.

[Midnight Writer]

28. Depends on what they actually do. If they want to drive around with signs and flags, that's cool.

If they block roads and access to businesses, give them a warning to move. If they refuse, follow applicable law.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

30. +100. nt

[orangecrush]

34. Agreed.

[thatdemguy]

35. Thats one of the problems in Canada

The government shut the business' down because of the truckers, they where not allowed to open even if they wanted to.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

39. Exactly n/t

[Calista241]

37. Go slow protests have been happening forever, but on a smaller scale and with less malicious intent

Just driving somewhere while creeping along at 2-3 mph would be more effective imo, rather than driving up a street and parking. You'd have the same gridlock, and the cops couldn't just walk up to everyone, interview everyone, and take a shitload of notes, like they are doing in Canada. In addition, traffic is still moving, so innocents would get caught up in any protest.

Confiscating trucks isn't on the menu though, at least not immediately. Laws have to be passed in order to seize property here in the US, and they'd likely be challenged. The 4th Amendment still applies, even if you're being an asshole. They'd probably have to pass a law to change the licensing requirement of CDL's to allow for acts of protest leading to loss of license.

[jalan48]

41. They want to make a big fucking deal out of it, let's do it!

[BannonsLiver]

42. Is this DU's latest crisis du jour?

[hamsterjill]

43. Have a plan!!!

I hope people are preparing for the possibility of this happening and not be caught off guard. Having a plan in place is not a bad thing. If it doesn’t ever need to be used - no big deal. If this starts here, then being ready is a good thing.

[ancianita]

44. Arrest all truckers who block commerce and have their rigs towed.

[GoCubsGo]

46. Other: All of the above.