WASHINGTON — The leader of a group connected to the trucker convoy protesting federal vaccine mandates in the DMV on and off over the last few months was arrested near the National Mall Wednesday morning for blocking traffic on Monday.
David Riddell -- nicknamed "Santa" -- was arrested by D.C. Police officers on the Mall around 9 a.m., charged with disturbing peace/hindering passage, disorderly conduct and failure to obey a lawful order. Riddell is the leader of the 1776 Restoration Movement, an offshoot of the People's Convoy, which used a semi-truck to block traffic on I-270 in Maryland for approximately 30 minutes on July 4. No arrests were made during the protest, but Riddell was picked up on a Maryland State Police warrant.
"The 1776 movement was started after the People's Convoy disbanded," member Matt Ellenwood said. "We want to bring back the constitution and republic the way our fore founders wrote it up in the constitution."
The group said they were in D.C. protesting "government overreach." Many of the members drove from California, Indiana, Texas and Missouri to join the demonstration. They parked their flag draped vehicles on Madison Drive, SW by the Mall alternating parking spots to avoid tickets and stay in zone compliance one protestor said. Outside of the arrest, there was very little to no police presence for the remainder of the day.
Members said they will remain in DC overnight and in the days to come until "we get our Government back and they listen to us," said one member pointing toward the U.S Capitol.
Edwina Rose Koepsell said their group has no plans to block traffic in D.C. but acknowledged that they knew any one of them could have been arrested.
"This is our country," she said. "Our country is going the wrong way. It has been taking a slow slippery fall, but now it seems like it's just a huge waterfall."