In Canada, there’s a protest going on among some truckers about having to be vaccinated to cross the border between the U.S. and Canada. Although around 90% of truckers are reportedly vaccinated, a loud and vocal minority have organized themselves into being a real nuisance, occupying Ottawa, snarling up traffic and generally being a pain in the ass. They had also started an online crowd-sourcing project via GoFundMe to pay for their obnoxiousness. Unfortunately for them, that site froze their funds, and now they and other mostly rightwingers are hopping mad about it.
Source: CBC
The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe says it will stop payments to the organizers of Freedom Convoy 2022 and refund donors directly because the protest violates its rules on violence and harassment.
The company announced its decision in a blog post on Friday evening, just two days after it froze disbursements of the fund.
“GoFundMe supports peaceful protests and we believe that was the intention of the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser when it was first created,” the company said in the post.
“We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity.”
The company said the protest violates a rule in its terms of service that prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment. The fundraising page for the convoy has been deleted from GoFundMe’s website.
GoFundMe’s full statement is here. With some tweets on how the money will be returned. Another platform that caters to rightwingers is now hosting.
To simplify the process for our users, we will be refunding all donations to the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser. This refund will happen automatically—you do not need to submit a request. Donors can expect to see refunds within 7-10 business days.
— GoFundMe (@gofundme) February 5, 2022
The update we issued earlier enabled all donors to get a refund and outlined a plan to distribute remaining funds to verified charities selected by the Freedom Convoy organizers. However, due to donor feedback, we are simplifying the process and automatically refunding donations.
— GoFundMe (@gofundme) February 5, 2022
Some reaction from the usual suspects.
If you donated to the freedom convoy file a charge back immediately.
They will likely get charged 10 to $15 for every charge back.
Otherwise GoFundMe announced your money goes wherever they want.
Probably BLM https://t.co/jlqfead53c
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) February 4, 2022
At the request of Trudeau, @GoFundMe has just stolen $9,000,000 from the truckers. Rather than automatically refunding it to the donors, they say they’re going to give it to groups of their own choosing. What a windfall for Black Lives Matter, Greenpeace and Planned Parenthood! pic.twitter.com/prEwLnypfe
— Ezra Levant 🍁 (@ezralevant) February 4, 2022
Becoming a cause célèbre for many of the worst American politicians.
It is a fraud for @gofundme to commandeer $9M in donations sent to support truckers and give it to causes of their own choosing.
I will work with @AGAshleyMoody to investigate these deceptive practices — these donors should be given a refund.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 5, 2022
If only the truckers looted and burned down businesses in Ottawa, rather than lawfully protest a draconian mandate.
Then @gofundme would have no problem with people sending them donations.
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) February 5, 2022
GoFundMe promoted the ANTIFA-occupied CHOP zone in Seattle.
But they shut down fundraisers for truckers protesting #COVID mandates.
We’ve got questions.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 5, 2022
GoFundMe isn’t distributing $9 million raised for the Canadian Freedom Convoy because of “reports” of violence & other unlawful activity.
There were plenty of real violent & destructive George Floyd & BLM orgs that received money from GoFundMe.
Why weren’t those shut down?
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) February 5, 2022
And of course this joker.