File photo of a truck convoy on a major U.S. highway

Washington, February 20 (RHC)-- U.S. truckers are reportedly planning their “Freedom Convoy” protests against what they refer to as “unlawful [COVID-19] mandates” after similar protests in Canada drew international support from anti-vaccine activists.

According to the Facebook group, Kansas Truckers for Freedom Convoy, U.S.-based truck drivers will leave a truck stop on March 3rd in Aurora, Colorado before taking major cross-country Interstate-70 highway across the state of Kansas, stopping for the night in city of Salina, and then heading into the state of Missouri through Kansas City.

The truck convoy will then pass through Salina on the morning of March 4th and “slow roll” through the cities of Junction City and Topeka for truckers to stop and collect donations, the groups added, encouraging “peaceful supporters” to participate in donating to the cause.

The group further states that the convoy will then drive across Missouri, and after making a stop in the mid-western state of Illinois, will head to the neighboring state of Indiana, where the convoy will wait for other truckers to arrive from northern routes.

The Kansas Truckers for Freedom Convoy group further emphasized that it is “standing up for freedoms” and is dedicated to fighting “unlawful mandates” peacefully and effectively.  According to various right-wing news outlets in the United States, protesting truck convoys from across the country intend to eventually converge on Washington, DC.

The Canadian “Freedom Convoy” protests originally started in late January across Canada, garnering international attention and leading to similar anti-vaccine mandate protest in France and elsewhere in Europe.

The Canadian movement received major support from conservative and right-wing American anti-vaccine activists, drawing complaints from Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has asked lawmakers to invoke emergency powers to halt the protests.