No local delays Monday morning after social media call for nationwide highway protests

Videos on some social media platforms last week called for a nationwide protest on major roadways during the Monday morning commute, however it didn’t come to fruition in the Miami Valley.

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Videos that appeared on TikTok last week called for the #PatriotShutdown, a planned protest by truckers in the name of medical freedom. The protest called for truckers to slow their semitrailers down and come to a stop to block major highways.

Several states were mentioned in the videos including Ohio, specifically portions of I-75 and I-70 in Dayton-area.

In preparation of the protest, an Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesperson said state troopers were aware of the reports and would monitor the situation.

“The Patrol is aware and monitoring the situation closely to ensure roadways are safe to travel. For security reasons we cannot go into further detail at this time,” the spokesperson said in a statement to News Center 7 Friday.

Tipp City police also issued a statement Sunday ahead of the possible protest, saying the department was aware of the reports and would set up detours if they happened.

During the Monday morning commute, News Center 7 saw several state troopers and other officers out on the highways. However, no major delays or roadblocks were reported during the entirety of the commute.

In Hamilton County, the rumors of the protest and highway shutdowns prompted the county’s prosecutor to issue a statement warning of arrest and prosecution if the protest happened.

“I want to be perfectly clear. Anyone who attempts to shut down the highways in Hamilton County will be removed from their vehicles, charged with felony disrupting public services and they will go to jail. To those who claim to be supportive of law enforcement -- law enforcement is not with you. This would pose a serious danger for our first responders and the community at large,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said in a statement, as reported by our news partners at WCPO-TV in Cincinnati.

Additional details were not available.

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