Truckers in California to Protest At Super Bowl Over School Mask Mandate

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Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within the politics concentration at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism where he serves as the school's student representative in the University Senate and the Student Leadership Advisory Council of the Columbia Alumni Association.

Previously, he served as Newsweek's congressional correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Over his tenure with Newsweek, Alex has covered the speakership of Mike Johnson, the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the midterm elections of 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and other key congressional stories of the Biden presidency.

Alex additionally provides coverage of Newsweek ownership and has produced investigative reporting on legal troubles facing the Olivet Assembly, a religious entity to which Newsweek's two owners formerly held ties.

Prior to covering Congress, Alex reported on matters of U.S. national security, holding press credentials for both the U.S. Capitol and the Department of Defense. Before joining Newsweek, Alex wrote for The American Prospect, Vice News, WDIV-TV NBC Local 4 News in Detroit, and other regional outlets.

His entry into the media industry began at Syracuse University where he majored in magazine journalism and produced award-winning coverage of the U.S.-Mexico border. At Syracuse, Alex also completed majors in policy studies as well as citizenship & civic engagement and was recognized as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the university's highest honors.

Alex was selected by the National Press Foundation to serve as a Paul Miller Washington Reporting fellow in 2024. He holds memberships with the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) organization.

Contact Alex with tips and feedback at a.rouhandeh@newsweek.com, and stay updated on his reporting by following him on social media at @AlexRouhandeh.

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Before the L.A. Rams and Cincinnati Bengals clash at the 3:30 pacific time tipoff during this year's Super Bowl, protestors, seemingly organized by the USA Truck Convoy, plan to meet in front of the stadium to demonstrate against California's school mask mandate.

This comes as California Governor Gavin Newsom directed the state's Department of Public Safety to lift its mandate that required vaccinated citizens to wear masks indoors, according to The Sacramento Bee as the state has seen a 67 percent decline in COVID cases over the past two weeks, according to health data.

The new rule, however, stopped short of lifting the mandate that requires children to mask up at school, sparking those in opposition of the directive to launch plans for a "medical freedom protest" set to take place outside LA's SoFi Stadium on Super Bowl February 13.

TOPSHOT-CANADA-HEALTH-VIRUS-PROTEST
A protester walks in front of parked trucks as demonstrators continue to protest the vaccine mandates implemented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on February 8, 2022, in Ottawa, Canada. This has sparked copycat protests like... Photo by DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images

The USA Truck Convoy, which posts under the tag TruckersForFreedom, announced on the social media instant messaging site Telegram their intent to "shut down" the Super Bowl, moving forward with the plan after "94% from 4500 votes" in the group shared their support for the action and 10 percent said they could come.

"Everyone be ready and tell everyone about the: SUPER BOWL PROTEST! Officials will host a Super Bowl while forcing kids to mask. End the mandates! LET'S SHUT THIS THING DOWN!" a post wrote. "Shut the SUPER BOWL DOWN!!! Surround SoFi Stadium with Trucks!!!"

Near the end of January, truckers in Ottawa, Canada, launched a convoy in protest of the Canadian government's mandate that individuals entering the country by land needed to show proof of vaccination. Since then, groups of truck drivers from across the world have participated in copycat demonstrations protesting their own country's mandates.

On Wednesday, the "Freedom Convoy" blocked a major commerce bridge between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, effectively shutting down all movement and garnering national headlines in the process.

Courtesy of @Serendipityy45

Over the course of its protests, the Freedom Convoy has raised an estimated $11.1 million through crowdfunding services GiveSendGo and GoFundMe. However, as the movement gained momentum and picked up greater scrutiny, GoFundMe announced that it would withhold the funds raised to support the truckers.

Members of the Republican party have supported the Convoy's effort to protest medical mandates, with President Trump releasing a statement in support of their fight and expressing thanks to those carrying out similar efforts in the United States.

"The Freedom Convoy is peacefully protesting the harsh policies of far-left lunatic Justin Trudeau who has destroyed Canada with insane Covid mandates," the Trump statement wrote. "Now, thankfully, the Freedom Convoy could be coming to DC with American Truckers who want to protest Biden's ridiculous Covid policies."

POLITICO reports that the convoy, which is expected to start in California, will begin its journey to D.C. during the month of March.

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About the writer

Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within the politics concentration at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism where he serves as the school's student representative in the University Senate and the Student Leadership Advisory Council of the Columbia Alumni Association.

Previously, he served as Newsweek's congressional correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Over his tenure with Newsweek, Alex has covered the speakership of Mike Johnson, the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the midterm elections of 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and other key congressional stories of the Biden presidency.

Alex additionally provides coverage of Newsweek ownership and has produced investigative reporting on legal troubles facing the Olivet Assembly, a religious entity to which Newsweek's two owners formerly held ties.

Prior to covering Congress, Alex reported on matters of U.S. national security, holding press credentials for both the U.S. Capitol and the Department of Defense. Before joining Newsweek, Alex wrote for The American Prospect, Vice News, WDIV-TV NBC Local 4 News in Detroit, and other regional outlets.

His entry into the media industry began at Syracuse University where he majored in magazine journalism and produced award-winning coverage of the U.S.-Mexico border. At Syracuse, Alex also completed majors in policy studies as well as citizenship & civic engagement and was recognized as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the university's highest honors.

Alex was selected by the National Press Foundation to serve as a Paul Miller Washington Reporting fellow in 2024. He holds memberships with the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) organization.

Contact Alex with tips and feedback at a.rouhandeh@newsweek.com, and stay updated on his reporting by following him on social media at @AlexRouhandeh.

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Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within ... Read more