After GoFundMe shut down a fundraiser to support the Freedom Convoy in Canada, a new fundraiser was established at the Christian-owned crowdfunding site GiveSendGo—which has already raised nearly $9 million.
The government of Ontario, however, is trying to stop the donation from making it to the Freedom Convoy, and claims it has frozen all donations to the convoy, making it a “criminal offense” to possess any money made through the platform.
BREAKING: The Ontario government says it has effectively frozen all donations made to the trucker convoy through GiveSendGo. It is now a criminal offence to have any "dealing" with money from donations through this platform. pic.twitter.com/EhWWqe1V6J
— Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) February 10, 2022
GiveSendGo, however, is telling the Ontario government to stuff it.
“Know this! Canada has absolutely ZERO jurisdiction over how we manage our funds here at GiveSendGo,” the site said in a statement on Twitter. “All funds for EVERY campaign on GiveSendGo flow directly to the recipients of those campaigns, not least of which is The Freedom Convoy campaign.”
Know this! Canada has absolutely ZERO jurisdiction over how we manage our funds here at GiveSendGo. All funds for EVERY campaign on GiveSendGo flow directly to the recipients of those campaigns, not least of which is The Freedom Convoy campaign.
— GiveSendGo (@GiveSendGo) February 11, 2022
It seems unlikely that one province could criminalize donations to a group from a particular platform, so it goes without saying that a legal battle is inevitable.
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