Samuel Case, FISM News
The Freedom Convoy’s GoFundMe page was paused on Wednesday after raising over $10 million. The page, which was created on Jan. 14, had raised a total of $10,096,400 CAD prior to being frozen.
“This fundraiser is currently paused and under review to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations,” a notice at the top of the page reads. “Our team is working 24/7 and doing all we can to protect both organizers and donors. Thank you for your patience.”
All funds raised by the page are intended to support the truckers who participated in the protest by covering fuel costs and “to assist with food if needed and contribute to shelter if needed.”
“As the activity surrounding the protest evolves, we have been monitoring the fundraiser to ensure the funds are going to the intended recipients and that the fundraiser remains within our Terms of Service. Our monitoring includes maintaining close communication with the organizer as well as collaborating with local law enforcement,” GoFundMe said in a blog post.
“As part of our information gathering process, we also requested more information from the organizer regarding the use of funds to ensure the fundraiser is still compliant with our Terms of Service. When we do not receive required information, we may put a pause on donations as we did in this case.”
As of Wednesday, three people have been arrested and 13 investigations are underway in connection with the massive anti-vaccine mandate protest in Ottawa that saw hundreds of trucks and thousands of demonstrators descend upon the Canadian capital.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has used these incidents to try to frame the demonstration as a whole in a negative light. Media reports from the ground, however, have suggested that the rally remained peaceful, outside a few rogue demonstrators.