(NewsNation Now) — A U.S. truck driver said there is currently “something in the works” to stage a protest similar to the one in Canada here in America.
“I know that firsthand knowledge,” said trucker Brian Ilsley. “But we’re not really trying to go too far with it. We’re trying to keep it in house as much as we can. Because we want to make sure that this stays a grassroots movement.”
Ilsley said there is some “misinformation” circulating about potential plans for a protest. He said interrupting the Super Bowl or the State of the Union doesn’t line up with their timeline.
“There isn’t really a timeline to follow. But these guys are committed,” he said.
Despite Ilsley’s claim, a spokesperson for the Midwest Truckers Association said in a statement: “There’s no organized effort that we or officials know of that truckers will protest in the U.S.”
About 90% of truckers in Canada are vaccinated, and trucker associations and many big-rig operators have denounced the protests. But Ilsley said the protest is about more than just COVID-19 safety measures.
“We’re talking about freedom. This is a God-given right,” he said.
While the truckers continue to protest, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has urged Canadian authorities to resolve the standoff that has culminated in the blockade of a bridge between Canada and Detroit.
The bumper-to-bumper demonstration by the self-proclaimed Freedom Truck Convoy entered its fourth day Thursday at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, disrupting the flow of auto parts and other products between the two countries.
The bridge carries 25% of all trade between the two countries, and Canadian authorities expressed increasing worry about the economic effects.