February 10, 2022 ☼ canada ☼ convoy ☼ protest
Source: MPR News (Link)
Protesters blocking roads along the Canadian border may have just hit another roadblock in accessing funds from supporters.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued an order halting access to funds collected via the GiveSendGo website, Canadian outlet Global News reports. Protesters had raised millions via “Freedom Convoy 2022” and “Adopt-a-Trucker” campaigns on the site, but government officials in Ontario asked the court to stop organizers from accessing and doling out those funds, a request that was granted Thursday, Ivana Yelich, a spokeswoman for the office of the Premier of Ontario, told the outlet.
Protesters were initially able to use GoFundMe to garner financial support and raised around $7.8 million before GoFundMe put a stop to the fundraiser for violating its terms of service and opted to refund all donors.
In a statement explaining its decision, the company said that while it initially supported what it believed was a peaceful protest, evidence from authorities showed that the “Freedom Convoy” had morphed into an “occupation” involving unlawful activities.