People's Convoy Battles Imaginary Antifa Drivers, Traffic And A Lack Of Downtown Parking
Because average people could never get angry at idiots tying up traffic, blaring their horns and wasting gas
By Erin Marquis
An hour ago
In a completely predictable turn of events, the Peoples Convoy have groups splintering off from the main protest to try and find ways into D.C. proper, though they are finding conditions less than favorable. While some managed to get an unexplained escort through town by D.C. Metro police, protesters are mostly claiming theyre being harassed by Antifa as residents go about their daily lives now made more difficult by the presence of huge trucks purposefully slowing down already bad traffic.
Two days ago, our favorite reporter on the ground, Daily Beasts Zachary Petrizzo, reported this exchange:
{snip}
Its almost as if they cant even imagine a scenario where they arent viewed as heroes by regular people. This isnt the first time truckers have blamed that shadowy Antifa organization for their woes.
Vice also spoke to a grad student who is researching far-right movements and keeps an ear to the ground on truckers Telegram channels:
The truckers whove been snarling traffic on the Beltway that surrounds Washington for several weeks are a bit of a jumpy bunch. Antifa could be anyone and anything. A car cutting off a trucker a bit aggressively, a commuter flipping the bird at them, or just people in vehicles they dont like? Must be antifa.
Sometimes they just dont like the look of the car and they assume its antifa, said Sara Aniano, a graduate student studying far-right rhetoric who has been watching the convoy for weeks. It does seem like any car that is driving some sort of way that does not align with their ideal of driving is labeled as a possible instigator. ... Aniano said its possible some of the truckers just dont understand how rough driving can be on the Beltway, so regular commuter traffic and possibly a bit of road rage comes off as a deliberate antagonist aggravation.
Regardless, barely a livestream goes by without a protester peering out the window and muttering about antifa.
{snip}