[ad_1]
- The “Reclaim Our Borders” convoy got off to a rocky start.
- According to WIRED, turnout for the so-called “Army of God” was lower than expected.
- The group also reported dealing with internal conflicts, loss of vehicles, and expulsion of members.
A convoy headed to Texas organized by a group called Take Our Border Back got off to a chaotic start, with tires slashed and participants stranded, WIRED reported.
According to a report in Vice, one of the convoy’s organizers described it as “God’s army” and said it would be used in large numbers to stop migrants from crossing the Texas-Mexico border into the United States. It is said that he had an ambition to mobilize 10,000 trucks.
But despite an influx of donations, lots of media attention, and a growing social media following, things aren’t going as planned.
WIRED reported that everything started going wrong even before the convoy departed.
WIRED reported that some participants woke up to find their car tires slashed outside their hotels.
Adding to the confusion, there was even a last-minute scramble to find a meeting place after the owner of the original location said the convoy could not meet there, WIRED reported.
The group gathered in a parking lot in Norfolk, Virginia, with about 20 cars. Video footage seen by WIRED shows that this was far from the number the group was looking for.
The magazine reported that one of the organizers, Craig Hudgins, was hopeful, claiming without evidence that “40,000 truck drivers from all over the United States and Canada” would soon take part.
WIRED reported that no other trucks joined the convoy that day.
WIRED reported, citing messages posted on the Zello walkie-talkie app, that one of the vehicles got lost almost immediately after departing an hour later than scheduled.
The group also said there was an argument over accommodation during a planning meeting later that day.
One of the participants may have been locked out of the convoy due to heightened tensions.
At one point, the main bus in the convoy stopped on the shoulder of the highway and kicked out one of its passengers, WIRED reported.
It’s unclear why the man was ejected, but a livestream detail from a person who had contact with the man said he was left stranded in Florence, South Carolina, without his wallet, WIRED reported.
The Reclaim Our Borders convoy did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
The group said part of its goal is to immediately stop illegal immigration and secure the border.
Immigration rates have reached unprecedented levels, with U.S. authorities reporting about 300,000 people attempted to cross the border last month.
It remains unclear how the convoy plans to confront the migrants at the border and prevent them from entering the United States.
[ad_2]
Source link