U.S. trucker convoy wants to give ‘proverbial middle finger’ to government: expert

By Joy Malbon and Maggie Parkhill

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    Washington, D.C. (CTV Network) — The trucker protest that gripped downtown Ottawa for weeks has come to an end, but a similar convoy is just starting its journey across the U.S. to Washington, D.C.

Jared Holt, who researches domestic extremism for the U.S. think-tank Atlantic Council, told CTV National News Washington Bureau Chief Joy Malbon that “The People’s Convoy” in the U.S. was inspired by the attention garnered by its Canadian counterpart.

“What a lot of them seem to receive from coverage coming to America … really kind of mirrored the corruption and chaos that they deeply fantasize about being able to pull off themselves,” Holt said. “They are angry at the government, they are angry at society, and a lot of these folks would like nothing better than to send the proverbial middle finger to the government and to that society.”

When it comes to whether or not there is a risk of further disruption or violence, Holt said it’s too early to know, but that the U.S. convoy and the anti-vaccination movement has already attracted “a whole host of far-right elements.”

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Sonja Puzic
sonja.puzic@bellmedia.ca