'People's Convoy' passes through Westmoreland County en route to D.C. trucker rally

Hundreds of people converged Friday afternoon along Interstate 70 in New Stanton and at the eastbound ramps onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike to cheer on a large trucker convoy rolling toward Washington, D.C., for a weekend rally to protest covid-19 restrictions — which have been eased or eliminated in large part in recent days and weeks.

As the convoy rolled along the interstate Friday, many stood along the road waving flags and cheering the truckers and vehicles in the convoy, while others parked pickup trucks in grassy areas off the highway and at the edge of the turnpike ramp. A group cheered the procession — which lasted more than an hour — from the Center Avenue Bridge over I-70.

Among those cheering the truckers blowing their horns in an ear-splitting crescendo were two FedEx delivery drivers who work at the New Stanton facility.

“We support this movement to get the government out of everybody’s lives,” said Melanie Nelson of Acme, who was joined in cheering and waving an American flag by fellow FedEx driver Darcie Mensch of Youngwood.

The truck drivers are sick of the government telling them that they must take health precautions such as masking and vaccination, Nelson said.

“I’m here to support their freedoms,” Mensch said.

Giving truckers the freedom to decide whether they want to abide by government mandates brought on in an effort to curb the covid pandemic was a recurring theme for some of those lining the highway. Most along the road waved American flags. Among those in vehicles that drove with the truckers, some had banners supporting former President Trump and others with derisive and sometimes derogatory phrases expressing hatred for President Biden.

Becky Musgrove of West Newton said her reason for supporting the truckers was to show support for her own family.

“My family has truckers, and they have had to pay for their own diesel fuel, which takes a big chunk out of their paycheck,” Musgrove said.

“Without the truckers, our country would go crazy” as prices would rise because of transportation costs, Musgrove said.

Renita Watkiss of Hunker put a political spin on the protest, saying country is in such turmoil in large part because of who is in the White House.

“We need (Trump) back so bad,” said Watkiss, standing next to a silhouette of Trump featuring the phrase “Miss Me Yet.”

Kelley Sullivan of Youngwood considers her support for the truckers a necessity for her and her children.

“We’re fighting for our rights in America,” Sullivan said.

Pennsylvania Turnpike officials warned that motorists might encounter delays as the convoy made its way to Washington, D.C.

Hundreds of trucks and other vehicles, traveling cross-country under the name The People’s Convoy, were headed to the nation’s capital to seek an end to restrictions related to the pandemic.

Part of the group started in California on Feb. 23. A second convoy departed more recently from the Northeast.

Friday’s leg for the California group took them from Cambridge, Ohio, to Hagerstown, Md., via the Pennsylvania Turnpike from New Stanton to Breezewood, and then onto Interstate 270, according to The People’s Convoy website.

The convoys were organized online and modeled after recent Canadian truckers’ protests that shut down U.S.-Canada border crossings, according to the Associated Press.

The convoy came through the region about two weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines that indicated most people could stop wearing masks because of the pandemic.

On Wednesday, Biden said it was time for America to stop letting the coronavirus “dictate how we live,” outlining a strategy to allow people to return to many normal activities safely after two years of pandemic disruptions.

One highlight of the Biden administration’s plan to do so is a new “test to treat” plan to provide free antiviral pills at pharmacies to people who test positive for the virus.

The plan followed Biden’s Tuesday night State of the Union speech, in which he pointed to progress made against the pandemic since last year, with a dramatic reduction in cases, readily available vaccines and tests, and new therapeutics soon becoming more accessible.

“Tonight, I can say we are moving forward safely, back to more normal routines. It’s time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again,” Biden said during the address.

Truck drivers at the Smithton stop on I-70 predicted a month ago a U.S. replication of Canadian truckers’ efforts that were aimed at coronavirus vaccine mandates.

The People’s Convoy is set to arrive in the Washington, D.C., area on Saturday. The group described itself in a news release as a “peaceful and law-abiding transcontinental journey toward the East Coast.”

TRAVEL ADVISORY - #PaTurnpike I-70/76 Eastbound between New Stanton Exit #75 and Breezewood Exit #161. Motorists may encounter delays due to a convoy traveling through the area. Be alert for slow traffic.@PA_Turnpike @TotalTrafficPIT pic.twitter.com/fOltGEZD1K

— PA Turnpike Alerts (@PATurnpikeAlert) March 4, 2022

Trucker convoy gets lots of support at New Stanton near Pennsylvania Turnpike east ramp. pic.twitter.com/UDmN79d0Ti

— Joseph Napsha (@joseph_napsha) March 4, 2022