GoFundMe says it won’t be giving the C$10 million ($8 million USD) raised to support the truckers protesting COVID-19 mandates to the organizers anymore, saying it will instead work with the organizers to send the funds to “established charities verified by GoFundMe.”
“To ensure GoFundMe remains a trusted platform, we work with local authorities to ensure we have a detailed, factual understanding of events taking place on the ground,” the fundraising platform said in a statement on Feb. 4.
“Following a review of relevant facts and multiple discussions with local law enforcement and city officials, this fundraiser is now in violation of our Terms of Service (Term 8, which prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment) and has been removed from the platform.”
GoFundMe added that it has “evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity.”
John Carpay, president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) which is providing legal representation for the organizers, told The Epoch Times that the linking of protesters to violent or unlawful activity is unfounded.
“I would like to see what evidence there is,” Carpay said. “That’s political spin.”
Carpay said the organizers have maintained that the protests are peaceful.
“It’s a constitutional freedom to protest peacefully,” Carpay said.
He also said that it’s his understanding from people on the ground that people can move freely in Ottawa, and for example in a recent case an emergency vehicle was able to “rapidly race through the streets because the trucks were neatly parked off to the side.”
“They’re not obstructing the daily lives of people in Ottawa, and they’re committed to peace and non-violence,” he said.
The Epoch Times reached out to GoFundMe for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
GoFundMe had earlier put a freeze in withdrawal of the funds as it undertook a review “to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations.”
Keith Wilson, a lawyer from JCCF representing the organizers, had said earlier at a Feb. 3 press conference that GoFundMe has been “bombarded with an orchestrated social media and other campaigns to try and shut [the fundraiser] down.”
Ottawa police have made a few arrests while the protesters remain in Ottawa. On Feb. 1, the Ottawa Police Service announced that it had charged one man with mischief under $5,000 and another man with carrying a weapon to a meeting. Police charged another man from Quebec while in Ottawa on Feb. 2 in relation to “threats and comments made on social media.” Police say there have been no injuries or riots during the protests.
“I have it on very reliable information that people from the movement were not associated, and that offences related to property damage, and just an assault this morning, committed by agitators were witnessed and reported by a trucker and one of our volunteer security personnel, which was reported to the police and handled by the Ottawa Police Service,” said Daniel Bulford, a former RCMP officer who worked as a sniper to protect the prime minister and is now helping the protest organizers, at the Feb. 3 press conference.
GoFundMe had earlier allowed withdrawal of C$1 million by the organizers to be used for expenses such as fuel and food for the protesters. The fundraising platform said in its Feb. 4 statement that donors may submit a request for a full refund of their donation until Feb. 19.
The trucker convoy demonstration initially started as a protest against the federal government’s requirement for truck drivers crossing the U.S.-Canada border to have COVID-19 vaccination, but became a large movement as many across Canada opposing various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions joined the protest.
The convoy converged in Ottawa on Jan. 29, and many protesters have remained in the city, parking their trucks and vehicles by Parliament Hill.
The protesters say they will remain in the nation’s capital until the government removes COVID-19 mandates.
The organizers have now set up an alternate donation site on GiveSendGo, which they say will ensure the money gets to the protesters. The donation site had raised over $175,000 in just a few hours after its creation.
Never will I ever donate to any GoFundMe, no matter what. Just another liberal scam, GoFYourself.
GIVE THE MONEY BACK TO DONORS
IS NOT HO FUND ME MONEY TO DISTRIBUTE THE MONEY !!!!!
AND LET FIND A ANOTHER WAY TO GIVE THE TRUCKERS MONEY
THE GOVERNMENT WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE
NOT THE PEOPLE WORK THE GOVERNMENT
WAKE UP PEOPLE OF THE WORLD
This is totally bull how in the hell can they fo this. I surely hope gofundme goes out of business. I am sick and tired of this woke society..
I saw this story reported two or three days ago and it is just another example of how the administrative state reaches into the private sector to crush any and all significant opposition to their agenda. If the truckers are allowed to succeed, then other factions in countries all around the world might rise up and take similar action to force an end to this authoritarian grab for power by the world’s socialist movement.
As far as any future donations to Go Fund Me goes, I am done! Their decision to base their seizure of donations on heresay exposes their leadership for what it really is—-irrelevant and woke.I do hope the truckers can find a legitimate source for the collection of donations as they need our support.
Will never use GoFundMe again. The money was donated for a specific purpose. Donors have been duped. Go Fund Me should be ashamed. They should no longer be trusted.
GoFundMe now says all donations will be refunded within 7-10 days, automatically, no refund request required.
GiveSendGo now has a donation for truckers fund in operation. Raised over one million dollars in 12 hours.
They are also under tremendous bot attacks trying to take them down.
Who would do such a thing?
Not secret government agencies! They are much too honorable for such actions. Surely they respect the will of the people enough not to subvert popular protests!
Surely.
GoFundMe just commited suicide.
Who are GFM to decide to give earmarked money to someone else.Only an idiot would do business with them after this.
Wrong thing for go fund me to do!
I believe that gofundme should never be used in future for any donations. This is going to make people very leery when someone tries to get funds for a critically ill person.
I have used Go Fund Me a few times in the past without issue but NO MORE. They want to do this kind of crap, well I hope they go down the toilet, maybe a law suit as well!! GFM sucks!
GoFundme also shut down fundraisers for Kyle Rittenhouse, despite leaving one up for a guy who killed a seventeen year old girl in a road rage incident.
I’d say no more using an untrustworthy fundraising website would be the way to go from now on! Their actions make it a definite deal breaker! GoFundme is OUT‼️
THEFT! PROSECUTE!
Lawsuit!
Get your refund now!
If you used a credit card, ask card company to refund. It will cost Gofundme a 15.00$ charge.
What? I’ve read on multiple sources that they are refunding the money. Please provide a source to verify they stle it and are giving it to charity.
This is so wrong but part of the environment we are living in today. They need to be held accountable. It seems this would be breaking the law. How can they decide who gets the money when it was set up for the truckers. Stop using them and definitely file a lawsuit.
Truckers new donor site: Give Send Go
Hmmmm…. What’s their track record with BLM and the 2020 riots?
Time to tell GFM to just GFY!
Whatever finally happens with this (either complete refunds or diversion to other charities), this will be a complete black mark on the record of GoFundMe. Too bad for all who would have received benefits from this service in the future. There will be a big reluctance to ever use that site again. GoFundMe should have either 1) refused to set this up account originally or 2) not even mentioned anything about diverting the funds to other charities of their choice. Now the level of distrust is very large, and no one wins.
Liars and thieves, thieves and liars. It is hard not to be frightened for the future of our children and grandchildren.
There will be a lot of lawsuits over their actions. The people who donated, gave money in support of the truckers. Not other charities. So if you donated, I recommend you call GoFundMe, and tell them you intend to file a suit against them. Hopefully there will be a class action suit representing all of the donors.
In all of history; what a poignant and beautiful story of courage and fortitude. Far different from the picture of what CNN paints; with their ‘paint-by-number’-propaganda kit. Globalists/socialists the world over want this story suppressed and censored. Socialists are afraid that if this story is exposed in all it heroic beauty; that other patriots will want to follow in their example. Truckers and their lawyers have the guts and testicular fortitude to stand up for freedom from tyranny! ‘Go Fund Me’ has no scruples, no ethics, and no decency. This is a big opportunity for lawyers everywhere; to unite in an effort to help quash repression and despotism. This is one of the greatest stories of bravery, fearlessness, and standing up for our unalienable rights. As Patrick Henry once said: “Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death!”
Get up to date truckers news at
rebelnews.com/
Thankfully with the outcry and perhaps Ron Desantis starting an investigation they decided to refund the money to the donors.
No one will will use them for large conservative fundraising again. Good job GoFundMe ????
How dare “Go Fund Me” takes any of that money. It was intended for one purpose & that was to help those truckers in Ottawa who are peacefully protesting the mandates. Who are they to decide what’s ok and what’s not.Looks like freedom is being taken away in Canada too.
Go Fund Me just lost millions of donors.
I would never donate anything thru Go Fund Me again and demand my $$$$ back on this one. That is BS
Totally agree with the comments here but didn’t see any comments on just what “charities” the unrefunded money will be donated to. There are so many far-left charities, or charities that support things that upstanding citizens would never support! Just wondering…..
After reading this, I will never donate a dime to a GoFundMe page. If the platform cannot be trusted to use the funds in the manner for which they were intended, then they shouldn’t be able to distribute any funds. Just like Facebook and Twitter, the owners of GoFundMe have now determined that they are the arbitrators of all truth. The people who donated to this cause expect their money to be used to help the stated cause, not to go to charities at the discretion of the administrators of GoFundMe. What a crock.
So, Go Fund Me is now woke and another Marxist organization? Not somebody I would want to use or support.
GO FUND ME just made a huge mistake! It is not your money to redistribute.
Isn’t extortion to accept money for a specific reason and spend it on another?
Use GiveSendGo.com
What a bunch of bull!