The "Freedom Convoy" continued on Wellington Street in Ottawa, February 10, 2022. PHOTO BY JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIA
The Ontario government moved to choke off funding to convoy protesters Thursday, successfully seeking a court order preventing anyone from using the millions of dollars raised for the convoy through the fundraising platform GiveSendGo.
In a statement, Ivana Yelich, spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford, said the province’s attorney general brought an application in the Superior Court of Justice for an order of restraint “prohibiting ay person from disposing of, or otherwise dealing with, in any manner whatsoever, any and all monetary donations made through the Freedom Convoy 2022 and Adopt-a-Trucker campaign pages on the GiveSendGo online fundraising platform.”
The order was issued by the court Thursday afternoon.
“It binds any and all parties with possession or control over these donations,” the statement said.
The move was met with anger by convoy protest organizer Chris Barber, who warned it would create a backlash that would bring in more protesters.
“Bring it on. This is making it worse. It is going to blow up in their faces because we are not going anywhere.”
He said the movement has growing support and has funds coming in from various sources.
Barber claimed 3,000 more trucks are coming from western Canada and the court order will bring more protests.
“Border crossings shut down. Auto plants are laying off. What do you think is going to happen?”
Emilie Taman, one of the lawyers working on the proposed class-action lawsuit that resulted in a court injunction barring convoy truckers from honking their horns, called the restraint order involving the money raised through GiveSendGo significant.
To get such a court order the provincial attorney general would have to satisfy a judge that indictable offences had taken place, she noted.
This is the second time massive fundraising efforts in support of the movement that has seen protesters occupy Ottawa and now block the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor have been shut down.
Convoy organizers quickly moved to secure a new funding source last week after the popular GoFundMe platform closed off access to $10 million in donations raised through its website.
Since adopting GiveSendGo as their new fundraising platform, which bills itself as the leader in Christian fundraising, the convoy organizers have raised USD $8,413,569 as of Thursday evening.
GiveSendGo has previously hosted fundraising efforts conducted on behalf of the Proud Boys, a neo-facist group deemed a terrorist organization by the Canadian government.
In a video on the GiveSendGo website, Tamara Lich, a key organizer of the truckers’ protest, said GoFundMe had frozen the bulk of its funds after releasing $1 million.
Lich said the truckers decided to team with GiveSendGo “which will enable us to get donations into the hands of the truckers much, much quicker while everyone gets the rest of this stuff sorted out.”
This is the second time a court order has been used to impact the protest movement. Earlier this week, an Ontario Superior Court Judge issued an injunction against honking by the truckers, something, the court heard, that was damaging the hearing of nearby residents and making it difficult for people to live and work there.
The protests are entering their third week in Ottawa and an influx of supporters is expected this weekend, as has happened during the past two weekends. The situation has forced businesses, including the Rideau Centre, to close, putting thousands of people out of work and leaving hundreds of businesses unable to earn any money.
This week, protesters shut down the critical Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor with Detroit. The move resulted in auto and other companies closing and laying off workers because they can’t get the supplies they need.
The City of Ottawa has declared a state of emergency and there have been calls for more action to move trucks out of the city centre and away from the bridge.
-With files from Andrew Duffy.
MEET THE WHITE SUPREMACIST PROTESTER
DEMONSTRATORS DIG IN: "I’ll die on the battlefield"
"This is my war and I’ll die on the battlefield. I got nothing left to lose, right?”
Author of the article: Matthew Lapierre
Publishing date: Feb 11, 2022 •
Jamie, a protester who refused to give his last name, is among those camped out at a satellite demonstration site near Bronson Avenue.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW LAPIERRE /Postmedia
At a small, makeshift camp in a parking lot on Bronson Avenue this week, four men sat around a fire burning inside a steel drum.
Their presence was an act of protest; they were among those who made their way to Ottawa pushing for an end to COVID-19 public health measures.
Among them was Jamie, from Sault Ste. Marie, a bearded veteran who walked with a cane and wore a leather jacket dotted with pins and patches. “NAVY. Here to save your ass, not kiss it,” one patch read. He nursed a cigarette as he spoke, declaring unapologetically that he had no filter. “I have a mouth and I’m going to use it.”
Jamie, and Brian, who is also from Sault Ste. Marie, travelled to Ottawa to protest vaccine mandates, initially. Brian described himself as a life-long conspiracy theorist who was anti-vaccine, though he said he had taken two doses. He has five grandchildren and his mother had passed away after taking a second dose, which he said motivated him to rebel against public health authorities. Neither wanted to give their last name.
“This is the biggest psy-op in human history,” Jamie said of the pandemic, as Brian nodded. “Well, after 9/11 this is the biggest one. I was a weapons tech in the navy and I know thermite when I see it.”
Jamie tossed the stub of a cigarette into the fire. He possessed a fuming hatred for communism, which he blamed on his Cold War military service, and both men distrusted mainstream media, who, they said, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid to lie.
Social media, Jamie said, was designed to make its users dumb and unable to think critically about government decisions. “A person is smart,” he said, “but people are dumb.”
Brian agreed. “Just watch stuff that gets taken down,” he said. “If you can’t find it two hours after seeing something, that’s usually probably truth because they don’t want the truth out.”
But he added that, in his view, the government had been working to keep people unaware and uninformed before the creation of the internet. “That’s why they put the fluoride in the water,” he said. Fluoride is added to drinking water in some jurisdictions as a safe, inexpensive way to improve the population’s dental health, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Dental Association. “That’s what they want you to think,” Brian said. He hadn’t drank tap water in 12 years, instead consuming water from a spring in the woods north of Sault Ste. Marie.
Both Brian and Jamie applied this line of thinking to other subjects. “They” wanted to track the population, Brian said. This was the reason for six-foot social distancing recommendations. “As soon as you have two people close together, they can’t tell one from the other.”
Jamie believed there was a nefarious reason children weren’t being taught cursive writing in school anymore. “What are all our most important documents written in? That beautiful calligraphy,” he said. “And, if you can’t read it, you’ll forget it. If you forget it, you take it away.”
“I truly believe that (Facebook and Meta co-founder Mark) Zuckerberg, though, is a lizard,” he said later, unprompted. (DAVID ICKE ANTI-SEMITIC TROPE)
Both Jamie and Brian had fallen upon recent hardships. Jamie, who stood with the help of a cane and wore a patch that said “disabled Canadian veteran,” was having trouble receiving care for a lingering back injury. In addition to the loss of his mother, Brian had battled authorities in Sault Ste. Marie in an effort to open a school for children to attend without having to wear masks.
On the surface, their world views were networks of conspiracy theories. But their lack of trust in institutions stemmed from a deeper skepticism born from years of feeling abandoned and neglected — a feeling which, during the pandemic, only seemed to worsen.
Despite his hatred for communism, Jamie entered a tirade about income inequality and the redistribution of wealth, noting, correctly, that the wealth of the richest men on the planet had ballooned since the start of the pandemic.
“Take the 19 richest people on earth, take all their money from them,” Jamie said. “They want to have a Star Trek world where everybody’s living in harmony and nobody’s homeless, nobody’s hungry? Take the money from them bastards. Why do you have to keep coming after the little bastards? People that don’t have enough as it is. If I try to save any money, it’s just gone.”
“Facts,” another demonstrator said as he flipped burgers on an outdoor grill.
According to Jamie, a protester who refused to give his last name, “This is the biggest psy-op in human history. Well, after 9/11 this is the biggest one. I was a weapons tech in the navy and I know thermite when I see it.”
PHOTO BY MATTHEW LAPIERRE /Postmedia
“My first pension check from veteran’s affairs was $62.50,” Jamie continued. “I sent it back to them saying, ‘What the hell am I supposed to do with that?’ I get 0.4 per cent raise every year. What’s that, a cup of coffee?”
They had come to Ottawa petitioning for freedom, but they were staying put, with ample food and other supplies donated by supporters, because they felt a deep sense of purpose and a need to feel heard.
“I’m prepared to die right here,” Jamie said, motioning to the parking lot where three RVs, a few trucks and a trailer sat. “I volunteered for two wars. Didn’t happen. This is my war and I’ll die on the battlefield. I got nothing left to lose, right?”
As the federal government continues to refuse to negotiate with the protesters for fear of legitimizing those who have caused chaos in Ottawa for two weeks, it appears Brian and Jamie will stay put for a long while yet.
To them, that didn’t sound like the worst outcome. Brian described Jamie as his brother and said he found God at the Ottawa protests. Both men spoke about the community they had discovered and the support they felt.
A third demonstrator approached as Jamie spoke, carrying a deck of cards, and asked if they would be up for a game of poker later.
“I never met any of these guys until a couple of days ago,” Jamie said, gesturing to Brian and the two other men, “but, if somebody came in here and tried to do anything to them, they’d have to kill me first.”
TRUCK CONVOY: Protest enters Day 15, as Ford declares state of emergency; Province will introduce new enforcement measures
Author of the article: Staff Reporter
Publishing date: Feb 11, 2022 •
People gathered in Downtown Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy protest, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022.
PHOTO BY ASHLEY FRASER /Postmedia
The “Freedom Convoy” that converged in Ottawa on Jan. 28 began in response to the federal government’s move to require that Canadian truck drivers crossing the U.S. border be fully vaccinated, but has evolved into a protest of all public health measures aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers say they will not end their protest until all measures are dropped.
What you need to know:
Premier Doug Ford has declared a state of emergency in Ontario and the government will enact new emergency measures in an effort to end the “illegal occupation” in Ottawa and the related blockades at international border crossings in Windsor
Downtown bus detours and closures continued Friday as the protest marked a full two weeks in the capital. Residents are advised to avoid non-essential travel in the downtown core.
There will be lane closures on the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge over a third weekend of protests “out of an abundance of caution and safety”
The key Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, Michigan remains closed Friday morning while delays of seven hours were reported at the Canadian border between Coutts, Alta. and Sweet Grass, Montana
The number of both police reinforcements and protesters were expected to surge again this weekend with Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly pleading with the latter: “Please do not come. There will be accountability for any unlawful criminal activities that occur in this city in relation to this demonstration”
12 p.m.
Premier Doug Ford has declared a state of emergency in Ontario and the government will enact new emergency measures in an effort to end the “illegal occupation” in Ottawa and the related blockades at international border crossings in Windsor.
“I know these frustrations have reached a boiling point for many Canadians. The result is what we’re now seeing in various cities across our province and our country,” Ford said Friday.
Ford said the right to protest “cannot and must not extend to cutting off that lifeline” of trade at international crossings and told protesters in Ottawa who have “held the city hostage for two weeks” to go home.
“I want to say to those people: you have been heard loud and clear. Canada has heard you. My message to those still in Ottawa, and to those at our border crossings: please go home,” Ford said. “To those of you who have brought your children: please take them home. I urge you, it’s time to leave. And it’s time to do so peacefully.”
Ford said “there will be consequences for these actions and they will be severe.”
On Thursday, the province announced it had won a court order effectively freezing millions of dollars in donations raised for the protesters through the GiveSendGo online platform.
Attorney General Doug Downey applied for the court order, which prohibits anyone from distributing donations made to the “Freedom Convoy 2022” and “Adopt-a-Trucker” campaigns.
Ford said “more needs to be done” as he made the declaration of a state of emergency from Queen’s Park, where he was joined by Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, Downey and Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney.
“I will convene cabinet to use legal authorities to urgently enact orders that will make crystal clear it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people and services along critical infrastructure,” Ford said.
“This will include protecting international border crossings, 400-series highways, airports, ports, bridges and railways.
“It will also include protecting the safe and essential movement of ambulatory and medical services, public transit, municipal and provincial roadways, as well as pedestrian walkways.”
Fines for non-compliance will be “severe,” Ford said, with a maximum penalty of $100,000 and up to a year imprisonment.
Ford said the government will also consider taking away the personal and commercial licenses of anyone who doesn’t comply with the orders.
The emergency orders will be temporary, but Ford said his government has “every intention to bring new legislation forward that will make these measures permanent in law.”
“We’ve tried and tried and tried,” he said. “The occupiers in Ottawa, they’re not listening. The trade problems that we would see if we didn’t clear the Ambassador Bridge would be unprecedented.”
Ford said “the world is watching” and he will “support our police as they do what it takes to restore law and order … We’re going to move as quickly as we can to clear the bridge (in Windsor), to get people’s lives back to normal in Ottawa, and we will use every tool in our toolbox to make sure that happens.”
The OPP has provided additional resources to police forces in Ottawa and Windsor following their requests for “operational support.”
Ford defended his government’s response to the developing crisis when asked by reporters why he waited until now to declare the emergency.
Ford acknowledged he was at his cottage on the weekend where, as reported by CTV News, he was photographed on his snowmobile.
“I’ve been on this phone almost 24/7 — along with the premiers, the U.S. ambassadors, the governor, the prime minister — around the clock,” Ford said. “Make no mistake, I have been engaged since the second this (was) happening and I’ll continue to engage with the authorities that we need to talk to.”
Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath of the NDP slammed the premier’s action as overdue in a statement Friday.
“Premier Doug Ford has had the power all along to stop the insurrection, and he chose not to use it,” Horwath said.
“Two weeks ago, he could have taken action — before people lost two weeks of income, and health-care workers were harassed in the streets, and before truckers trying to deliver food and medical supplies were stuck at the border for days and our supply chain was squeezed …
“Until peace has been restored, I will continue to push every hour that the powers Ford has are actually used to end these illegal, dangerous occupations.”
11:50 a.m.
There will be lane closures on the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge over a third weekend of protests “out of an abundance of caution and safety,” Public Services and Procurement Canada said Friday.
Two lanes in each direction will be open to vehicles during lane closures from 8 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday.
But PSPC said it was “monitoring the situation closely and may implement additional unplanned lane closures for the bridge if required.”
As of Friday, the Macdonald-Cartier, Chaudière and Champlain bridges were open, the Portage Bridge was closed except for southbound essential workers, and the Alexandra Bridge was closed after being open southbound until 10 a.m.
Meanwhile, Ottawa police reiterated Friday afternoon they “are not returning seized items associated to the demonstration, such as fuel.”
10:30 a.m.
Several dozen vehicles, mostly heavy trucks adorned with Canadian flags, sat parked on private property in Embrun, near the intersection of St. Guillaume Road and Route 200.
A sign near the entrance of the lot described the area as “East route parking Freedom Convoy 2k22.”
The demonstrators appeared to have been camped at the site for some time. A line of 10 portable toilets was visible and a festival tent had been set up. The camp residents did not answer questions.
Pickup trucks frequently entered the lot, which is marked with a no-trespassing sign, including several vehicles flying American flags and one with a crossed assault rifle insignia on its door.
9:30 a.m.
College Ward Coun. Rick Chiarelli appeared for a livestreamed interview with convoy supporter Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson.
“You are a hero and you are very appreciated at this hour where speaking the truth has become an act of courage,” Thompson told Chiarelli at the outset.
Chiarelli said that in a conflict like this, it normally falls on politicians to start a dialogue with both sides “and make sure that everyone feels heard” but he is not aware of any members of council going down to talk to people or many members of Parliament who have done so.
“There are only two ways to get rid of your enemy in this case — if you’re calling them your enemy — and one of them is to make them your friend,” Chiarelli said. “And so we just thought it was important that somebody go down and talk to them and hear what they’re saying and not rely on the mainstream media for that.”
Chiarelli started getting a paycheque again in November after a 450-day salary suspension, ordered by city council for conduct violations in light of an integrity commissioner investigation.
Chiarelli’s office and three women who were interviewed by the College ward councillor for jobs filed complaints about his alleged lewd and inappropriate behaviour.
Chiarelli has denied the allegations.
8:30 a.m.
Two weeks after a truck convoy first rolled into the capital, the City of Ottawa again warned residents to avoid non-essential travel in the core on Friday.
Many roadways across the city will experience traffic delays and disruptions. All bus routes with service downtown were expected to remain on detour. Residents who need to get in and out of the downtown core were advised to O-Train Line 1 but Rideau Station can only be accessed through the William Street entrance.
That’s because the Rideau Centre remains closed after being shuttered due to the convoy Jan. 29.
The Ottawa Public Library’s Main and Rideau branches and Ottawa City Hall and its amenities remained closed. The vaccination clinic at the University of Ottawa Minto Sports Complex remains closed until Tuesday.
Policing costs for the ongoing protests in Ottawa have fluctuated between $700,000 and $800,000 per day, and that is expected to rise as reinforcements arrive, Chief Peter Sloly said Thursday. He said policing costs have already likely exceeded $10 million.
Thursday’s actions by members of the convoy included 60 to 70 light trucks circling the Ottawa airport in the morning and a “slow roll” of vehicles on Highway 417 in the afternoon.
Ottawa police said that if was “aware of a concerted effort to flood our 911 and non-emergency policing reporting line. This endangers lives and is completely unacceptable.”
More officers with “public order units” were expected to arrive in Ottawa from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area Thursday, Sloly said, and will be ready for “immediate deployment.”
Those officers will continue to arrive through the weekend, Sloly said, when protest numbers are once again expected to swell.
Sloly pleaded with those planning to attend the protest: “Please do not come,” he said. “There will be accountability for any unlawful criminal activities that occur in this city in relation to this demonstration.”
Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard said he’d heard of reports of “harassment” in Old Ottawa South and the Glebe Thursday “with no action from authorities.
“This is unacceptable,” Menard said, sharing plans for a community walk starting at Bank Street and Sunnyside Avenue at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Demands are intensifying for an end to the protests paralyzing not only downtown Ottawa but also the border crossings near Coutts, Alta., Emerson, Man., and the busy Windsor-Detroit Ambassador Bridge.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau briefed all the opposition leaders on the latest developments Thursday night and urged them to denounce the “illegal blockades and occupations happening across the country.”
Trudeau also posted on Twitter that federal officials would continue working with provincial and municipal governments to end the protests, which he warned are “hurting jobs, businesses, and our country’s economy.”
Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen joined the other party leaders on Thursday in calling on the protesters to stand down in order to stem the escalating economic damage resulting from the demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the RCMP was sending reinforcements to Ottawa and Windsor.
The latter city was granted intervener status Thursday in an application for an injunction that would stop protesters blocking Canada-bound traffic at the Ambassador Bridge crossing. An Ontario Superior Court justice was set to hear submissions Friday.
The Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit is considered the busiest commercial land border crossing in North America.
The same court on Thursday granted a request from the Ontario government to freeze protesters’ access to millions in donations raised on the fundraising platform GiveSendGo.
The American platform was defiant, tweeting: “Canada has ZERO jurisdiction over how we manage our funds here at GiveSendGo” after the Ontario government got a court order freezing the distribution of the money raised.
Also south of the border, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a written statement urged Canadian authorities to immediately end the blockades that are now threatening her state’s economy by slowing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cross border trade.
But despite all the entreaties, the protests showed no signs of letting up.
– With files from Aedan Helmer, Megan Gillis, Postmedia, The Canadian Press
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