Winter storm warnings continue in northern Minnesota 

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

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 

 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 

 for violating its terms of service and opted to refund all donors.

 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.

Following GoFundMe's move, protesters then moved on to GiveSendGo, a Christian fundraising website. That site has faced some scrutiny following 

 in the streets of Ottawa in opposition to COVID-19 vaccination mandates. The demonstration, which has spread to several border crossings with the U.S., has caused ongoing traffic disruptions and has worsened 

 and caused shutdowns and decreased productivity in the auto industry.

Officials in Canada and abroad have called for an end to what authorities have deemed an "occupation." Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed via 

 Wednesday evening that he and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will continue to support police in their efforts to manage the situation, while President Biden has urged the Canadian government to use federal force to end the demonstration, 

In the meantime, law enforcement agencies in France and Belgium have taken steps to prevent similar situations from unfolding in their countries by banning road blockades, according to the AP. In the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security said 

 that similar demonstrations could potentially affect Super Bowl Sunday as well as the State of the Union address next month.  

Business and Economic News

Politics and Government News

Sharon Pruitt-Young

Author

After losing access to GoFundMe campaigns, those involved with "Freedom Convoy 2022" then moved to Christian fundraising site GiveSendGo.

A Canadian judge has frozen access to donations for the trucker convoy protest

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox