The dreams of the “People’s Convoy” quickly died in the Bay Area after a critical tactical error: turning onto a street with a Safeway and a group of bored kids.
The trucker convoy, which aimed to emulate the disruptive Canadian protests against COVID restrictions, has failed spectacularly at every turn. During a few weeks of driving around D.C., the convoy was held up by a single bicyclist, and some convoy members said that they were having difficulty finding places for bathroom breaks, and as a result, were forced to urinate in their pants.
After an anemic showing in D.C., the convoy made the long drive back across the country, landing in Northern California this week. Since the convoy began, practically all major COVID restrictions have been lifted in the United States, so it appears they’ve switched their messaging to support other conservative causes.
On Friday afternoon, the small convoy of semi-trucks, pickup trucks and minivans and cars drove to Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ East Bay home to protest her support of an abortion rights bill. As they honked and used bullhorns in the quiet residential neighborhood, neighbors gathered to heckle them right back, yelling at the truckers to get off their street.
Livestreams posted by convoy participants show police arriving to protect Wicks’ home, which eventually prompted the group to move on. It was here they made their mistake, driving onto busy, one-lane College Avenue on the Berkeley-Oakland border. There, slowed down by the usual Friday afternoon traffic, they were sitting ducks outside the Safeway. A large group of kids, armed with eggs purchased at the grocery store, began pelting the convoy.
“We’re fighting for your freedoms too,” said one convoy participant as eggs flew amid shouts of “get the f— out of here” by the gathering crowd. A few ill-advised convoy drivers had their windows rolled down, resulting in eggs splattering the insides of their vehicles. Passersby watched in confusion and amusement, with some adults stopping to cheer on the kids.
One livestreamer for the convoy begrudgingly conceded victory to the Bay Area youth. “Well, it’s convenient because there’s a Safeway right there that sells eggs,” he said on the stream.
Furious truckers then drove out of town, heading back on the highway toward their base in Sacramento. According to CB radio captured by the livestream audio, truckers complained about needing to wash their vehicles and seemed shocked at how poorly received they were by locals.
In the aftermath of their defeat at the Rockridge Safeway, the convoy has returned to Sacramento Raceway Park. It’s unclear what their future plans are, but according to their website they’ve raised nearly $1.9 million in donations.
SFGATE politics editor Eric Ting contributed to this report.