The lead organizer of the People’s Convoy on Thursday evening suggested to frustrated truckers that they “flood 911” with calls amid increasing tensions with Beltway commuters. “The point is, as I understand, that it can get difficult; you’re talking about a lot of people. You’re talking about a big convoy,” organizer Brian Brase said. “And you’re talking about areas that simply do not like us.” He continued: “Remember if you got a bad actor, you got somebody acting dumb... #77 with the mile marker and report the vehicle!” The crowd then shouted back at the convoy leader, claiming Maryland State Police weren’t answering their calls. “Didn’t answer,” a trucker yelled. “If they don’t take care of it, then we’ll just flood 911,” Brase responded to a cheer from the crowd. “So they can answer the phone tomorrow or enjoy 911 calls. How about that!” Reached for comment by The Daily Beast, a Maryland State Police communications official said: “They certainly do not go unanswered. That is for sure.” The official added that the 911 number “should be reserved for emergency use only.” (The official confirmed that a driver flipping a trucker off is not an emergency.)
On Thursday, a trucker said of their daily Beltway laps that metro commuters continue to flip them off. “We go around the Beltway—birds are flying,” the driver said. “Birds are flying everywhere.”