Truck Stop Campaign
A Defenders USA Truck Stop Campaign on the Kansas City news. |
Undercover investigations and interviews have revealed that truck stops are places of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Minors are often transported along transportation routes by pimps, who sell the girls across the United States. Under-age youth who are sex trafficked at truck stops are often given the derogatory label of “Lot Lizards” and are often raped and/or beaten by their buyers and pimps.
In an effort to combat the exploitation of minors, The Defenders USA has joined the trucking community to end domestic minor sex trafficking. Twice a month The Defenders USA performs peaceful demonstrations outside major U.S. truck stops, displaying signs and banners along the highway and handing out informational materials to truckers and drivers in an effort to spread awareness about the harsh realities of minor trafficking. The goal of a Truck Stop Campaign is to encourage other men to join The Defenders USA cause.
Each Defender Truck Stop Campaign is led by a team captain or “Captain”. This leader is responsible for organizing a group of men (The Defenders USA requires a minimum of 15 individuals per Truck Stop Campaign) to rally outside a truck stop in their city. The Defender Captain is also responsible for printing all Defender materials, t-shirts, banners and picket signs needed for his local demonstration. All Defenders USA Truck Stop Materials may be downloaded from our toolkit page.
Captains are approved by The Defenders USA headquarters. If you would like to start a Truck Stop Campaign in your city, please fill out this captain application below.
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- Campaigns must be lead by a team captain or “Captain,” an individual who is in charge of the demonstration and its members.
- A minimum of 15 individuals are required for each campaign.
- Defenders must wear official Defenders USA apparel during the rally. Shirt designs can be downloaded from our toolkit page.
- Defenders may only use Defenders USA picket signs and banners. The designs for these signs may be downloaded from our toolkit page and created at your local printing store.
- Defenders are asked to provide funding for their own Truck Stop campaign materials.
- Truck Stop Campaigns must be peaceful demonstrations. Verbally offensive and violent behavior is not acceptable.
- Defenders cannot trespass on private property and must stay on the sidewalks. Obstructing traffic and/or standing on the Truck Stop premises is illegal.
- If confronted by truck stop employees, simply inform them that the goal of a Defenders USA campaign is to not to protest truck stops, but to inform others about domestic minor sex trafficking.
- Defenders must never take matters into their own hands. If you witness minor trafficking or observe suspicious behavior, call the U.S. Department of Justice’s Trafficking in Persons & Workers Exploitation Task Force Hotline at 1-888-428-7581. This phone number is secure and anonymous.
