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'Downeast to DC' convoy travels through Maine protesting COVID-19 restrictions

Organizers say they plan to end up in central Maryland by the end of the week for another rally.

HERMON, Maine — Convoys from all over the country are headed to the nation's capital to protest COVID-19 related mandates and restrictions. 

Recently, truck drivers shut down border crossings in Canada. The blockades were in protest of Canada's COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates. The protests have inspired some in Maine to take part in a trucker convoy here in the U.S.

The "Downeast to D.C." convoy left the Dysart's Truck Stop in Hermon around 8 a.m. Wednesday, consisting of several semi-trucks and other vehicles. Some were decorated with American flags.

The convoy arrived at the Lodge at Kennebunk, just next to the Kennebunk Service Plaza, shortly before 11 a.m. At the lodge, the convoy and its supporters from the Pine Tree State held a rally and spoke out against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.

Around 300 people attended the rally in Kennebunk. Many in attendance carried American flags, chanted, and cheered on drivers who were taking part in the convoy.

"I just want to support the truckers," John Linnehan of Ellsworth said. "I believe in fighting for our freedoms and our constitutional rights." 

Linnehan was one of the many Mainers who traveled from Hermon to Kennebunk to attend the rally. He does not, however, doesn't plan to continue on to the Maryland area. 

Many who attended the rally also said they were protesting Maine Gov. Janet Mills' COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers. 

One speaker was Meryl Nass, a former Ellsworth physician whose medical license was suspended earlier this year because of accusations that she spread misinformation about COVID-19. 

Nass was applauded as she discussed her beliefs about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and other medical treatments and pushed back against the state's actions, as well as state and federal COVID-19 guidance.

RELATED: State board suspends Ellsworth physician's license for allegedly spreading COVID misinformation

Stephanie Lacourse also spoke to NEWS CENTER Maine at the rally. She said she lost her job at York Hospital because of Maine's vaccine mandate.

"I could not get vaccinated, [but] my doctor wouldn't write me a letter. I have no job. We could lose our house. We could lose our livelihood. We could lose everything," Lacourse said. 

Shortly before 1 p.m., the convoy rolled out of the Kennebunk Service Plaza.

The convoy is expected to continue south to central Maryland, where another rally is planned later this week.

Several dozen vehicles departed with the convey, but many drivers told NEWS CENTER Maine they would not be traveling all the way to Maryland.

Organizer Tiffany Kreck said that once the convoy reaches Maryland, they plan to protest President Joe Biden's extension of the country’s national emergency over the public health risk of COVID-19. Kreck is asking participants not to go into D.C. proper. 

“We are not here to threaten anybody," Kreck told NEWS CENTER Maine. "We’re not there to create chaos within the city’s capital. We’re there to speak to our leaders and to display to them this hope and this exhaustion that is stretched across people across the country now."

RELATED: First wave of truck convoys expected on Capital Beltway on Wednesday

Kreck added that she wants people to leave any political signs and flags at home. 

"This is not about a politician. This is about a policy," she said. "This is about the rights of each individual, and that spans political parties on both sides of the aisle.”

Kerk said it’s up to each participant how long they want to stay in Maryland. 

Biden said he extended the national emergency because more than 900,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and he needs the full capacity of the federal government to respond to the pandemic.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer advises indoor masking for people in many areas of the U.S. that are not within high transmission rates, according to updated guide the agency released Friday.  

RELATED: READ: President Joe Biden's State of the Union address

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