Hundreds of troops are on standby to maintain order.

A convoy of truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccination mandates in the United States are currently on their way to Washington DC to assemble and protest in earnest. This is being done in emulation of the ongoing “Freedom Convoy” protests occurring in Canada. Some truckers have already arrived in the Capitol, and more are projected to enter by the end of the week.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved requests from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police for National Guard assistance ahead of trucker protests expected to arrive in the area soon.

https://t.co/b1cZo51LZq

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 23, 2022

In an effort to maintain peace and direct traffic in the Capitol, the Pentagon has approved the deployment of approximately 700 unarmed National Guard troops, 400 from the DC guard, and 300 from neighboring states.

“The people who live, work and visit the District are part of our community, and their safety is our first mission priority,” Major General Sherrie McCandless, commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, said in a statement. “Our MPD and USCP partners have asked for our help in ensuring people can demonstrate peacefully and safely, and we stand ready to assist.”

TRUCK CONVOY: Hundreds of unarmed National Guard troops are headed to D.C. ahead of protests against COVID vaccines and mask mandates. pic.twitter.com/gb25iRLfUu

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) February 23, 2022

“We have been working, including from Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall here, as well as our Homeland Security Department, closely with our federal, state, and local partners to continuously assess the threat environment and keep our communities safe,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “And our efforts include enhanced intelligence sharing, a Critical Incident Response Plan for the U.S. Capitol, a regional security assessment, and a simulation experiment that developed data-driven recommendations to bolster regional security. So, we are closely monitoring, closely watching, and working with state and local authorities.”