House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 'closely monitoring' trucker convoys planning protests against pandemic restrictions in Washington, DC, ahead of President Biden's State of the Union address next week. 'We are monitoring the situation closely but deferred to the USCP, which is in charge of security,' senior staffer and spokesman for Pelosi, Drew Hammill, told Fox. Some convoys are scheduled to arrive in time for Biden's State of the Union address next Tuesday, March 1, though others may arrive afterward. As a preemptive measure, Capitol Police has scheduled officers on 12-hour shifts, with plans to reinstall the fencing that surrounded the Capitol complex last year. Democrats, mainly Pelosi, insisted the fencing was a needed precaution following the January 6 riot. The Pentagon is reportedly considering sending the National Guard to the capital. The convoys follow the recent Canadian truckers' protest which shut down the busiest US-Canada border crossing and besieged the streets of the capital, Ottawa, for weeks to protest government pandemic restrictions. The multiple blockades were broken up by police last week, with more than 100 arrests. Separate truck convoys have been planned in the US through online forums with names like the People's Convoy and the American Truckers Freedom Fund - all with different starting points, departure dates and routes. Truckers and their supporters are starting to gather before a convoy leaves the following morning bound for the nation's capital to protest against vaccine mandates in Adelanto, California. They aim at reaching Washington, DC Senior staffer Drew Hammill (Left) told Fox that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was closely monitoring the trucker convoys planning protests against pandemic restrictions in Washington, DC Jeff (L) and Art stand next to their trucks during the gathering ahead the departure of the People's Convoy, at the Adelanto Stadium in California on Tuesday The DC Beltway is among the thoroughfares being targeted by US truckers setting out to protest against a series of mandates The protests could become the biggest security threat in DC since the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is expected to approve the deployment of 700 to 800 unarmed National Guard troops to the nation's capital, a US official said Tuesday The District of Columbia government and the US Capitol Police are also requesting the National Guard assistance. The troops would be used largely to help control traffic and are expected to come from the district's National Guard and three states, said the official. 'The United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service have been closely working together to plan for the upcoming State of the Union,' the US Capitol Police said Friday. 'The temporary inner-perimeter fence is part of those ongoing discussions and remains an option, however at this time no decision has been made.' If approved, the The DC National Guard can supply up to 400 troops. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee said Friday that his department was closely monitoring the shifting information and would be devoting additional police manhours in a rolling state of alert over the next few weeks. 'There will be disruptions to traffic, that kind of thing,' Contee said. 'I think we need to be very candid with the public about what some of the expectations, based upon what we've seen in Ottawa, that we might see here in the District.' Contee called the Ottawa standoff, 'an incredible situation - one that we have not seen here in the District of Columbia.' Contee and Mayor Muriel Bowser predicted unrest several days before the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol Building. The expected convoys are modeled after the recent Canadian truckers' protest which shut down the busiest US-Canada border crossing and besieged the streets of the capital, Ottawa. Above, Protesters and truckers hold signs reading 'Where Trudeau' and 'Sick from mandates not COVID' in California Protesters and truckers start gathering ahead the departure of the People's Convoy A protester with a shirt reading 'God's got my back' helps packing food in the back of a truck during the gathering of the truckers participating in the People's Convoy A statement from the People's Convoy specifically says the trucks 'will NOT be going into DC proper.' That convoy is planning to embark Wednesday from southern California and arrive in DC around March 5 They warned residents to stay indoors and called for additional resources, but the Capitol Police and National Guard were still caught unprepared when crowds of Trump supporters overran the building, resulting in several deaths and numerous injuries. Lingering memories of that debacle have fueled a heightened sense of anxiety and speculation over the coming convoys. But Bowser said she wasn't yet warning residents to avoid the Capitol area or the National Mall. 'We're not at a point to give specific instructions to residents just yet. We will,' Bowser said. It remains to be seen if any of the U.S. convoys would seek to actively shut down Washington's streets, the way their Canadian counterparts did in Ottawa. Some convoy organizers have spoken of plans to briefly roll through the city, then focus on shutting down the Beltway, which encircles the capital. A statement from the People's Convoy specifically says the trucks 'will NOT be going into DC proper.' That convoy is planning to embark Wednesday from southern California and arrive in DC around March 5. The US convoys seek an immediate lifting of what they say are heavy-handed government pandemic restrictions like mask mandates and vaccine requirements. The American Truckers Freedom Fund website says the group is protesting 'the unscientific, unconstitutional overreach of the federal government.' People's Convoy organizer Mike Landis, in a video testimonial on the group's website, said the current COVID vaccine 'is not proven yet' but supported individual choice on whether to take it or not. Landis said the convoy was open to all vehicles and said the primary goal was to pressure Biden to lift the national state of emergency. 'We want this government to bring back the Constitution,' Landis said. 'We do not want to be under a dictatorship communism-style regime, like where we are right now.' Among the groups participating in the protests is the People's Convoy, which will begin the 11-day journey from Southern California to DC on Wednesday The Pentagon is being asked to deploy the National Guard to the US capital in anticipation of a mass group of truckers heading toward the city as part of a 'freedom convoy' Press secretary John Kirby said Tuesday that The Pentagon has been asked to help manage the protests by deploying the National Guard. 'The Department is analyzing a request for assistance from the US Capitol Police and the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency,' Kirby said in a statement. 'Those agencies have asked for National Guard personnel to provide support at traffic control points in and around the District to help the USCP [U.S. Capitol Police] and D.C. government address potential challenges stemming from possible disruptions at key traffic arteries.' Although it's not clear how many people will participate in the protests, it could number in the thousands, Fox News reported. Those leading the movement have requested a National Park Service permit that could accommodate up to 3,000 truckers in DC, according to the report. The fencing erection around the Capitol comes as anxiety over security on Capitol Hill continues following the January 6, 2021 attack that saw a handful killed and dozens to hundreds injured in the midst of Congress certifying the 2020 presidential election results. The fencing remained in place for most of 2021, giving rise to Republican criticism and claims that Democrats were trying to create a barrier between government and the people. The United States Capitol Police said it is working with several law enforcement agencies in the area as well as the D.C. National Guard to secure the complex before Biden's first State of the Union on March 1. The fencing that surrounded the Capitol Complex for much of 2021 will be reinstalled next week as U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) secure the area ahead of President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address on March 1 Some participants have already laid out the ruthless approaches they'll take to making their voices heard in Washington. Bob Bolus, who's leading a fleet of transports from Pennsylvania to Washington on Wednesday, plans to help shut down the Capital Beltway on Friday in protest of vaccine mandates, pandemic-related restrictions and more. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been blasted as an authoritarian for his attempts to stomp out the protests and stop them from being funded The 64-mile road - whose formal name is the I-495 - encircles the capital, and is its most vital ground transportation link. One lane will be left open for emergency vehicles, but Bolus has said 'tough luck' to commuters. 'The Beltway will be shut down,' Bolus told Fox News. 'I'll give you an analogy of that of a giant boa constrictor that basically squeezes you, chokes you, and then swallows you. And that's what we're going to do to D.C.' 'We will not compromise anybody's safety or health. As far as if they [people] can't get to work, geez, that's too bad.' Bolus said in a flyer that he's leading a group of truckers from Harrisburg to Washington to take a stand against President Joe Biden's 'tyrannical machine's attempt to remove our inalienable rights.' Both the Canadian and American convoys has drummed up plenty of support among truckers and Conservatives, including Senator Rand Paul, who previously said he was 'all for' such a protest. 'I'm all for it,' Paul told the Daily Signal earlier this month. 'Civil disobedience is a time-honored tradition in our country, from slavery to civil rights, you name it. Peaceful protest, clog things up, make people think about the mandates.' However, Canada has been criticized for the way it policed the largely peaceful protests. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been blasted as an authoritarian for his attempts to stomp out the protests and stop them from being funded. Ottawa's protests also led to the resignation last week of the city's police chief Peter Sloly, who failed to restore order to Canada's capital after thousands of truckers began protesting there in late January. Canada's convoy has received support from some Americans, including those pictured above near the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, New York on February 13, 2022 A person holds their hand to their heart during a singing of O Canada during a rally January 30 against COVID-19 restrictions on Parliament Hill, which began as a cross-country convoy protesting a federal vaccine mandate for truckers Truck drivers had been parked in Ottawa's center since January 27, demanding an end to Trudeau's vaccine mandates. They vowed to remain there until mandates were lifted, but police last week began cracking down on the convoy, arresting at least 196 demonstrators and towing away 115 vehicles. Heavily armed riot cops used pepper spray, while Mounties and armored vehicles were also brought in to help begin clearing the downtown area, which had been paralyzed by the protest. Canadian cops came under scrutiny for their excessive violence toward protesters after leaked text messages revealed a group of officers applauded the moment a grandmother was trampled by a police horse and joked about being ‘kinder, gentler and handing out free hugs and unicorn stickers' to the demonstrators. The text messages, which were leaked by Rebel News and whose authenticity has not yet been verified, appear to show several officers delighting in the brutality via a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) group chat. Several clips have shown peaceful protesters being beaten into submission, including a truck driver who claims he was attacked after having given himself up to authorities. Other footage shows a woman, who appeared to be using a mobility scooter, being trampled by mounted police in Ottawa, Ontario, on Friday. One of the text messages in the exchange appears to show officers applauding the incident involving the woman. Vehicles from the protest convoy are parked blocking lanes on a road January 30 in Ottawa shortly after the demonstrations began A man is arrested by police in Ottawa on Thursday night as the local law enforcement officers move to clear the three-week blockade on February 17 Truck drivers had been parked in Ottawa's center since January 27, demanding an end to Trudeau's vaccine mandates They vowed to remain there until mandates were lifted, but police last week began cracking down on the convoy, arresting at least 196 demonstrators and towing away 115 vehicles Ottawa's protests also led to the resignation last week of the city's police chief Peter Sloly, who failed to restore order to Canada's capital after thousands of truckers began protesting there in late January Meanwhile, one group participant wrote: 'Time for the protesters to hear our jackboots on the ground,' while another said: 'Don't kick all of them out until next weeks group gets our turn.' Another joked the officers could not act harshly because they were a 'kinder, gentler RCMP,' to which someone replied: 'Okay, we can give out free hugs and unicorn stickers.' Moments before the unidentified woman was trampled, she told another Freedom Convoy participant - who was recording the protests - that she was rallying to ensure a better future for her grandchildren. ‘Our grandchildren. This is what we’re doing it for. So they all can have peace and love and happiness,' she is heard saying on video, before chanting: ‘Peace, love, happiness. Peace, love, happiness.’ It comes as the province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) announced it was investigating an incident in which a 49-year-old woman was 'seriously injured' in an interaction with a police horse. The incident also followed an incident two weeks ago in which a 4foot-10inch great grandfather was cuffed and shoved to his knees for honking his car horn in support of the Freedom Convoy. The RCMP said it plans to launch an inquiry into the text chats. But the RCMP did not confirm the authenticity of the messages in its Tuesday morning response to DailyMail.com, nor did the organization answer an inquiry about disciplinary consequences for the officers involved. It appears Washington is working to avoid a similar outcome with preemptive planning. Long-haul truck driver Guy Meister said Ottawa police who broke up the protests in the Canadian capital were as incompetent as the silent-movie Keystone Kops Officers in full riot gear moved in Friday to break up the protests that had paralyzed Ottawa for weeks Meister said he was zip tied outside in -5 degree Celsius (5 degree Fahrenheit) temperatures after he was arrested A trucker arrested as police cracked down protestors in Ottawa has told of the farcical way the Canadian capital’s ‘Keystone Kops’ tried to bring the weeks’ long demonstration to an end. Even the officers themselves were complaining about how disorganized the whole operation was, Guy Meister told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview. ‘You could tell they were overwhelmed. They were as dumb as a bag of hammers,’ Meister, 53, said. ‘They wanted to take my booking photograph, but I had to wait for several minutes because they were having issues with the “mug shot board.” They first took my picture before they realized that it didn’t have any numbers on the board I was holding. ‘What should have taken a few minutes turned into 20 minutes, all in the freezing cold. ‘And while I was in the paddy wagon waiting to be processed, I could hear the cops complaining to each other how disorganized the entire situation was and complaining about the lack of planning on the part of their superiors. Meister, from Aylesford, Nova Scotia, was arrested around noon on Friday as the protest was forcibly ended by hundreds of cops in full riot gear. Police arrested at least 196 people and towed 115 vehicles. He was charged with criminal mischief and given a March 10 court date. He says he will plead not guilty. His comments come as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating leaked text messages that appear to show several officers delighting in the brutality of Friday's crackdown. One of the messages celebrated the moment a grandmother on a mobility scooter was trampled by mounted police. 'Just watched the horse video - that is awesome,' the chat member allegedly wrote. 'We should practice that manoeuvre.' Like many other truckers, Meister had his vehicle impounded and now faces chrges of CAN$200 a day to get his rig back Discarded placards and garbage told the story of the three-week protest over Covid mandates in Canada Moments before the unidentified woman was trampled, she told a Freedom Convoy participant - who was recording the protests - that she was rallying to ensure a better future for her grandchildren. Meister said he was sitting with a friend in his big rig parked the other side of the Rideau Canal just outside the ‘Hardened Zone’ in downtown Ottawa when he saw several police officers in riot gear coming toward their truck. ‘I thought they were going toward the, but they stopped at our truck and surrounded us. One police officer had a hammer like instrument in his hand and smashed the driver side window of the truck and demanded my friend get out of the vehicle He had broken glass all over him got out of the vehicle, where he was quicky arrested.’ ‘I quickly opened the door and got out, not wanting the police to smash my window,’ he said. ‘I got down out of the truck, the police told me to face the truck and they quickly placed me in a zippy tie handcuff.’ Meister said there were several police officers dressed in tactical riot gear, helmets, bullet proof vests, and carrying AR-15 .223 caliber assault rifles. He said he’s friend was quickly taken away by the police while another officer stood guard of him outside in -15-degree Celsius (5 degree Fahrenheit) weather. ‘My hands were freezing, I asked the officer if we could stand at least closer to the engine exhaust so I can keep warm, the officer agreed and led me around to the back of the truck near the exhaust pipe.’ Meister said that he waited outside in the sub-zero weather for at least 30 minutes. ‘The special forces police officer was extremely professional, he apologized to me at least 10 times. He told me that he’s only doing his job and he didn’t want to be doing this, and ‘only following orders.’ ‘He was a top-shelf guy,’ said Meister, ‘at one point he even helped me straighten out my hat, while I was in zippy tie cuffs.’ Meister said the special forces officers who arrested him were professional unlike the local Ottawa Police. ‘They were like the Keystone Kops,’ he said referring to the incompetent force depicted in silent movies in the 1910s. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility