UPDATE: The groups "Truckers to Shut Down America" and "Truckers Ride for the Constitution" claim they are the "founders" of the trucker movement but other groups are "out there spreading false information."
Ben Pam, an organizer for the latter group, told the Examiner that truckers are not planning on arresting any congressmen.
"We do not intend to obstruct traffic or close down any roads," he said. "We are not coming to arrest anyone."
He said the truckers only want to "awaken the American people to the complete disregard for the Constitution and bring a message to Congress that We The People demand to be heard."
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The "Truckers for the Constitution" rally will intentionally jam the Washington, D.C. beltway to bring attention to a wide range of issues and condemn specific political leaders, including President Barack Obama, an organizer claims.
The protest will reportedly span three days, starting on the morning of Oct. 11.
However, Earl Conlon, a Georgia trucker helping organize the protest, is also creating controversy by claiming that truckers will arrest "everyone in government who has violated their oath of office" if the police refuse to uphold "their constitutional oath" and make the arrests themselves. To justify the tactic, Conlon reportedly cited the idea of a citizens grand jury.
"We want these people arrested, and we're coming in with the grand jury to do it," he told U.S. News. "We are going to ask the law enforcement to uphold their constitutional oath and make these arrests. If they refuse to do it, by the power of the people of the United States and the people's grand jury, they don't want to do it, we will. ... We the people will find a way."
Credit: AFP/Getty Images
Obviously, any individual who attempts to "arrest" a member of Congress will almost certainly be arrested themselves. TheBlaze has reached out to Conlon to have him clarify his statements on physically arresting lawmakers and we will update this story should he respond.
During the "Truckers for the Constitution" rally, tractor-trailers will circle the beltway "three lanes deep" at the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit, Conlon said. Any drivers who wish to get past the convoy will have to have "T2SDA" written on their vehicle, which stands for "Truckers to Shut Down America." Other than that, "nobody in, nobody out."
"It's going to be real fun for anyone who is not a supporter… [and] if cops decide to give us a hard time, we're going to lock the brakes up, we're going to stop right there, we're going to be a three lane roadblock," he added.
Last week, Zeeda Andrews, a former country singer promoting the rally, said the rally-goers would present its demands to Congress, including the impeachment of Obama. If they comply, the drivers would end the rally.
But Conlon reportedly contradicted Zeeda, according to U.S. News.
"We are not going to ask for impeachment," Conlon said. "We are coming whether they like it or not. We're not asking for impeachment, we're asking for the arrest of everyone in government who has violated their oath of office."
Credit: AP
But Conlon and Andrews both agree that Obama and various members of Congress committed "treason" by allegedly permitting U.S. weapons to fall into the hands of al-Qaeda-linked rebels in Syria. Members of Congress who supported the action are also guilty of treason, they say.
"Andrews said last week 3,000 truckers had RSVP-ed to the event, and Conlon says he's now lost count of the number. He says he's receiving around 100 emails a day from prospective participants," U.S. News reports.
"What we want to do is go in nice and peaceful and keep it as peaceful as possible," he continued, "…but if they decide to get ugly with us we're going to do what we have to do."
"If all I get is one or two congressmen walked out of there in handcuffs, that will be a shot across the bow that will ripple across all branches of government. ... I hope they are all civil enough and brave enough to step out onto the congressional steps."
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