THE DECAY OF OBJECTIVE JOURNALISM.

Several "Freedom Convoy" truck parades have been making their way toward Washington City.  Apparently one such convoy made its way along Interstate 90 and 39 through Madison and into the Illinois Valley.  Ultimately, participants reached a staging area near Hagerstown, Maryland.  "More than a thousand large trucks, recreational vehicles and cars are gathering on the outskirts of Washington as part of a protest against COVID-19 restrictions that threatens to roll on the U.S. capital in the coming days."

Decide for yourself, dear reader, whether "so-called" has the same connotation as "self-described," or whether such a specification is even necessary in the following.  "The so-called 'People's Convoy,' which originated in California and has drawn participants from around the country, is calling for an end to all pandemic-related restrictions. It was inspired by demonstrations last month that paralyzed Ottawa, Canada's capital city."

It's possible that the primary message of the convoys has been muted by recent developments.

The convoy's message has been undercut in recent weeks as major U.S. cities have rolled back mask mandates and other measures against COVID-19, which has led to more than 950,000 deaths in the United States but has been mitigated with vaccines and therapeutics. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, signaled in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday that the country was entering a new, more controlled phase of the pandemic without business lockdowns or school closures.

Consider, though, what the following sentence contributes to the report. "A little more than a year ago, supporters of former Republican President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attack that left five people dead and more than 100 police officers injured."

The convoys are protests against overweening public health mandates.  The futile and stupid gesture at the Federal Capitol was at best a protest against improper changes to state voting procedures and at worst a failed attempt to stop the certification of the electoral vote.

Perhaps Ted Hesson's salary at Reuters depends on supporting the narrative that some forms of dissent border on sedition.

U.S. federal law enforcement agencies have been coordinating with state and local authorities for weeks in preparation for the possible arrival of the convoy, said one U.S. official who requested anonymity to discuss internal operations.

A Feb. 26 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bulletin to law enforcement reviewed by Reuters said trucker convoys could hinder emergency responders depending on the size of the protest.

The bulletin said federal law enforcement was not aware of any substantiated threats from domestic violent extremists, but that some extremists "probably will be drawn to the event and could engage in premeditated or opportunistic violence."

Arguably, any peaceable assembly might hinder emergency responders.  As might any stalled freight train in the middle of a populated area.  Prior restraint, though, is an infringement on civil liberties.  "Put another way, perhaps it ceases to be a peaceful protest when it looks more like a riot."  So far, none of the convoys, whether in Australia, Canada, or the United States, have looked like a riot.  Why the Shapers of Public Opinion have to raise the spectre of riot or insurrection before a single truck rolls might say more about the Shapers than about the protestors.