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Leader of trucker convoy arrested in D.C.

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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The leader of a convoy of truckers that has protested by driving slowly around the Beltway was arrested Wednesday morning in the District after the group drove vehicles to a street on the national Mall.

D.C. police said David Riddell was wanted on a warrant from Maryland.
The Maryland State Police charged Riddell, 57, a trucker from Ohio, with disobeying a lawful order from police and willfully driving a vehicle at a slow speed “impeding normal and reasonable traffic movement.”
The group had been called the “People’s Convoy.” But a small group spun off and rebranded as the “1776 Restoration Movement,” and drove on I-495 on the July Fourth holiday, slowing traffic.

It could not immediately be determined how many trucks were in the District. D.C. police did not comment beyond confirming the arrest; a Maryland State Police spokesman confirmed that a warrant had been issued for Riddell’s arrest.
Trucker convoy returns to D.C. region. Here’s what you need to know.
The group was started to protest coronavirus vaccine mandates but has since broadened its list of right-wing grievances. Earlier this year, the “People’s Convoy” drove almost daily around the Beltway and briefly came into D.C., mostly sticking to highways. The group left at the end of March after being closely followed by police, who at times blocked entrances into the city.


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But Riddell vowed to be more aggressive when the group returned to the nation’s capital. On the Telegram social media app, members said they regretted the way the protests went in March and issued calls in May for “civil disobedience.”

On Wednesday, several people driving trucks converged on a street along the Mall. A participant broadcast the encounter on a live-streamed video which showed a man believed to be Riddell being handcuffed.
The unnamed person said police were ordering the truck off the street to enforce a no-parking area, though they could not locate a sign that specifically prohibited trucks.
D.C. police officers briefly formed a line as truckers screamed at them and claimed one of the female demonstrators was injured when she fell from a truck during a confrontation with law enforcement. An assistant police chief at the scene confirmed that a woman had received medical treatment after a fall but did not offer further details of the encounter.
“We haven’t done anything wrong,” one of the truckers yelled at officers. “There is no sign that says no trucks.” The man called officers “cowards,” and vowed to remain on the street until tow trucks arrive.
“There should be freedom in the United States,” the man yelled.

 
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1776 Restoration Movement had a BBQ last week. Had a guy speaking who had been in prison for 2 counts of sex with a minor.

It's always projection with that side.
Literally every accusation is a confession.

Every single time. They want to jail Hunter Biden because Trump’s kids are all world class scumbags, that call libs “groomers” because it’s almost mandatory that elected Republican officials have at least the one rape accusation under their belts. And on and on.

HORT Righties - I beg you. Try, TRY to prove me wrong here. Name one single accusation hurled by wingnuts they aren’t themselves guilty of.
 
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Pretty sure this guy is stealing from the dipsticks that have given him some money.
I feel a Lee Elia rant coming on. The guy is supposedly a truck driver. So go drive the truck and make a living.
 
Civil disobedience.

Those truckers were nuts, imo, but what they did was OK.

Those who engage in CD risk being arrested and jailed, but they should be treated gently. It's part of that free speech, freedom to assemble, voice grievances, etc. matrix that is a valuable element in our democracy.

I just wish they could have used that energy for something important. But, hey, it's a free country.
 
You don't take someone's vehicle for them driving slowly.
No, but I was picturing those truckers (was it in Canada?) who blocked bridges for days. At some point a level of harm begins to build up that justifies treating them as criminals. And then you can confiscate the implements of their crimes. Like when we confiscate the cars of drug dealers.
 
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No, but I was picturing those truckers (was it in Canada?) who blocked bridges for days. At some point a level of harm begins to build up that justifies treating them as criminals. And then you can confiscate the implements of their crimes. Like when we confiscate the cars of drug dealers.
You're telling me bro.


 
The leader of a convoy of truckers that has protested by driving slowly around the Beltway was arrested Wednesday morning in the District after the group drove vehicles to a street on the national Mall.

D.C. police said David Riddell was wanted on a warrant from Maryland.
The Maryland State Police charged Riddell, 57, a trucker from Ohio, with disobeying a lawful order from police and willfully driving a vehicle at a slow speed “impeding normal and reasonable traffic movement.”
The group had been called the “People’s Convoy.” But a small group spun off and rebranded as the “1776 Restoration Movement,” and drove on I-495 on the July Fourth holiday, slowing traffic.

It could not immediately be determined how many trucks were in the District. D.C. police did not comment beyond confirming the arrest; a Maryland State Police spokesman confirmed that a warrant had been issued for Riddell’s arrest.
Trucker convoy returns to D.C. region. Here’s what you need to know.
The group was started to protest coronavirus vaccine mandates but has since broadened its list of right-wing grievances. Earlier this year, the “People’s Convoy” drove almost daily around the Beltway and briefly came into D.C., mostly sticking to highways. The group left at the end of March after being closely followed by police, who at times blocked entrances into the city.


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But Riddell vowed to be more aggressive when the group returned to the nation’s capital. On the Telegram social media app, members said they regretted the way the protests went in March and issued calls in May for “civil disobedience.”

On Wednesday, several people driving trucks converged on a street along the Mall. A participant broadcast the encounter on a live-streamed video which showed a man believed to be Riddell being handcuffed.
The unnamed person said police were ordering the truck off the street to enforce a no-parking area, though they could not locate a sign that specifically prohibited trucks.
D.C. police officers briefly formed a line as truckers screamed at them and claimed one of the female demonstrators was injured when she fell from a truck during a confrontation with law enforcement. An assistant police chief at the scene confirmed that a woman had received medical treatment after a fall but did not offer further details of the encounter.
“We haven’t done anything wrong,” one of the truckers yelled at officers. “There is no sign that says no trucks.” The man called officers “cowards,” and vowed to remain on the street until tow trucks arrive.
“There should be freedom in the United States,” the man yelled.

1. OK by me. Same result as 14 climate protestors who last weekend were arrested for a "sit in" that stopped traffic entirely on the Capital Beltway.
2. A perfectly good illustration of the principle that free speech rights are, in fact, subject to time/place/manner restrictions. Hmmm, I wonder whether there are other recent contexts where that limit might apply.
 
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What should we do with these jackwagons?

That's actually not that hard a question. You pull them off, leaving whatever skin remains on the surface to be cleaned by the maintenance people.

Now I'm sure that they're probably counting on you to use some sort of solvent. But even that reminds me of a true story from the world bank protests years ago. Knucklehead chains himself to axle of vehicle. Cop goes under and asks him for the key. "FU", he says. Cop come back with biggest, nastiest looking set of bolt cutters you can imagine. Says to guy, "look, I'm only going to ask you once more for the keys, and if you don't have them, I'm going to have to cut you out. But you have to stay really still because the last time i had to do this a guy flinched and I ended up cutting his finger off." Problem solved.
 
Oh, climate change protestors I can get behind. This douche is a grifter.
Remind me not to vote for you in the next Commonwealth Attorney election. I mean, I like prosecutorial discretion and all, but exercised within a slightly more limited range.
 
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Are you saying the aim of the protest doesn't matter?
Yes, that is precisely what I am saying, when it comes to the question of whether/how it can be regulated. Indeed, if you're saying it does matter, that's a massive first amendment problem in that you're engaging in viewpoint discrimination, which is kind of a "101-level" problem.
 
Yes, that is precisely what I am saying, when it comes to the question of whether/how it can be regulated. Indeed, if you're saying it does matter, that's a massive first amendment problem in that you're engaging in viewpoint discrimination, which is kind of a "101-level" problem.
Sorry, when one person is causing disruption that could harm people based on lies and craziness, while the other person is engaging in behavior to try to save lives, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION that warrants differential treatment.

Your line of reasoning makes me think of those who say that there's no difference between stealing a penny from the corporate till vs stealing an elderly person's entire savings.

Yes, both malefactors are thieves. But that's not the whole issue, and it isn't the most important part.
 
Sorry, when one person is causing disruption that could harm people based on lies and craziness, while the other person is engaging in behavior to try to save lives, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION that warrants differential treatment.

Your line of reasoning makes me think of those who say that there's no difference between stealing a penny from the corporate till vs stealing an elderly person's entire savings.

Yes, both malefactors are thieves. But that's not the whole issue, and it isn't the most important part.
Sitting down on the beltway is not this? Sorry, the "cause" here does not warrant a distinction in penalty. Both arrested, for pretty much the same offense. Comparable penalties, whatever they may be. But short of the firing squad someone proposed earlier.
 
Sorry, when one person is causing disruption that could harm people based on lies and craziness, while the other person is engaging in behavior to try to save lives, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION that warrants differential treatment.

Your line of reasoning makes me think of those who say that there's no difference between stealing a penny from the corporate till vs stealing an elderly person's entire savings.

Yes, both malefactors are thieves. But that's not the whole issue, and it isn't the most important part.

If something isn't done about the cost of transportation, a lot of lives could be harmed. Virtually everything you need to survive comes to your community in a truck.
 
Sitting down on the beltway is not this? Sorry, the "cause" here does not warrant a distinction in penalty. Both arrested, for pretty much the same offense. Comparable penalties, whatever they may be. But short of the firing squad someone proposed earlier.
Sorry, I'm a law and order kind of guy.
To the point, these clowns are way past legitimate protest. They have a smattering of anti-government views and Covid kookery, and the whole s*** show has been marked by fund raising scams. Seriously. It's time for these people to get jobs.
 
Sedate them and then have first year anatomy students clumsily free their hands from the paintings with rusty scalpels....
As long as they’re so fond of glueing body parts, glue their dick to their leg.
 
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