Friday, March 29th, 2024 Church Directory
THIS BRIDGE IN MONTICELLO was packed with supporters as the trucker’s convoy made its way along I-94. (Photo captured from posted video).
AROUND 200 CLEARWATER AREA RESIDENTS gathered along the Grover Ave. bridge to join the throng of support the truckers convoy received as it traveled across Central Minnesota last Friday. (Submitted photo.)

Freedom Convoy makes its way through MN

Flag-draped bridges with hundreds if not thousands of Minnesotans, greeted the Trucking Convoy as it traversed through Minnesota on its route to Washington, D.C. last week.

The convoy of dozens of vehicles with many displaying signs that read “Freedom,” sounded their horns and flashed their lights as they encountered the peaceful rallies of patriots all across the great State of Minnesota.

Residents of the Clearwater area were part of the throng of support the truckers convoy received as it traveled across Central Minnesota last Friday. Around 200 people came out to stand along the Grove Ave. bridge to wave flags and cheer as the truckers passed under them. The convoy received similar shows of support throughout the entire trip that day. 

The group behind the caravan, “American Freedom Convoy”, has been demanding an end to the national emergency that was first declared by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 and was recently extended by President Biden. The protesters have also called for congressional hearings into the origin of the pandemic and an end to government rules requiring masks and vaccinations. 

Coincidently, those demands have been undercut by the reality that many U.S. states have already started rolling back restrictions as virus cases and deaths have ebbed.

The American Freedom Convoy is one of several groups inspired by the Canadian protests against pandemic measures that disrupted the capital of Ottawa for three weeks.

Friday’s convoy left Minot, ND, March 2 and reached Fargo around 5 p.m. Thursday, after which the drivers headed into Minnesota and spent the night in the Sauk Centre area. On Friday morning the group, taking the “Midwest Route,” continued on I-94 to Hudson and were greeted by supporters along the way including in Clearwater and Monticello.

Barb Potter of TJ Potter Trucking in Becker, reported at least one of their truckers is participating in the convoy.

Bruce Ziegler has been with TJ Potter for 30+ years and he and his wife, Tammy have been involved with the caravan of patriots for quite some time now.  

“We want our children and grandchildren to live free and not in bondage,” the Zieglers said.  

They started out Thursday morning in Perham at the Perham Oasis and from there headed to the 59er Cafe in Detroit lakes.  “We picked up supplies collected from communities for the trailer waiting in Sauk Center,” Tammy said. “From there we headed to Fargo where we met up with the truck drivers that were heading to Washington DC.”  

The Zieglers left Fargo at 6 p.m.  

“What we experienced was awesome along with the farmers driving the fields to the freeway and all the roads along the freeway filled with patriots supporting us,” said Tammy. 

The next morning in Sauk Center, the Zieglers left at 8:30 a.m. sharp to continue on to Wisconsin. 

Convoys continued to join together, said the Zieglers as they were coming across the country and when they all came together, they were over 75 miles long. 

“My grandchildren along with many others participated in this history in the making,” said Tammy. “Thank you truck drivers and patriots for helping in the fight for our freedoms.” 

A second convoy (the I-90E Route), started in Tacoma, WA, and planned to hit Sioux Falls, SD, late Thursday, where they spent the night. On Friday, the participants planned to take I-90 across southern Minnesota, through Albert Lea and to Oakdale, Wisconsin.

The plan is for these convoys to join up with the four other others in Ohio, before they all head to the Washington D.C. area.

The only federal mandates in place require people to wear face masks on public transportation, including on planes and in airports, and a vaccination requirement for staff at any facilities that accept Medicaid or Medicare payments.

A Biden Administration rule that would have required large companies to ensure employees were vaccinated or tested weekly was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.