07-06-2022 , 08:34 PM
A protest group called the "1776 Restoration Movement" arrived in Washington, D.C. early morning on July 6th, 2022 parking along the National Mall. After their arrival, D.C. Metropolitan Police officers arrived on scene and arrested the leader of the movement, David Riddell also known as "Santa". An officer stated that Ridell was being arrested due to a warrant issued in the state of Maryland for obstructing the roadway on July 4th.
The protest movement coordinated 4 separate convoys on July 4th, 2022 blocking lanes at major points around the Washington DC beltway. Each of the four convoys consisted of roughly 12-15 vehicles and stopped at the I-270S, I-95S, I-95N and VA-7S. During the protest, they blocked most lanes of the highway causing a traffic buildup. Three out of the four convoys stopped their vehicles for 30 minutes on the highway.
The movement, which was started by members of the now defunct "People's Convoy", was camped in Bunker Hill, WV. They have rallied for over a month to raise support and had set July 4th as the start of their main protest. Their arrival in D.C. is an escalation of the protest.