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Inept 'People's Convoy' chased out of Bay Area by egg-throwing kids

Katie Dowd

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-19 restrictions, has failed spectacularly at every turn. During a few weeks of driving around Washington, D.C., the convoy was held up by a single bicyclist, and some convoy members said 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 Washington, the convoy made the long drive back across the country, landing in the Bay Area this week. Since the convoy began, practically all major COVID restrictions have been lifted in the United States, so it appears it’s switched its messaging to support other conservative causes. 

On Friday afternoon, the small convoy of semitrucks, pickup trucks, minivans and other 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 the convoy members 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,” one convoy participant said as eggs flew amid shouts of “get the fuck 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 citizens band 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. According to Daily Beast reporter Zachary Petrizzo, the convoy also encountered setbacks the day before in San Francisco.

“The People’s Convoy made it to San Francisco and decided to try and locate Nancy Pelosi’s residence, but the planned activity of placing flags in her yard fell apart due to the group failing to come to a consensus on what home was actually Pelosi’s,” Petrizzo tweeted.

In the aftermath of its defeat at the Rockridge Safeway, the convoy has returned to Sacramento Raceway Park. It’s unclear what its future plans are, but according to its website, it has raised nearly $1.9 million in donations.