Ottawa police threatening funding of truck protesters
Founder and CFO of GiveSendGo on the Canada truck driver protests and the new donation site used to support the 'freedom convoy'
Founder and CFO of GiveSendGo Jacob Wells said on Wednesday that the Freedom Convoy in Canada deserves to be heard.
"I believe that people have a right to stand for freedom and that is what we see happening, and largely it is a peaceful movement, and we’ve been talking with people on the ground there and that is what they are seeing," Wells told "Fox & Friends First."
"They are seeing a groundswell of freedom-loving people standing for their rights, and we’re happy to see funds from people, primarily Canadian citizens, giving to this to push back against overreaching vaccine mandate laws."
GIVESENDGO FOUNDER RIPS 'AUTHORITARIAN' BIG TECH AFTER GOFUNDME SEIZES CANADIAN TRUCKER'S CASH
A girl and her family walk through the line of truckers, handing out thank you notes (Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
After GoFundMe shut down fundraising for the Canadian "Freedom Convoy," donors flocked to Christian crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo to support truckers protesting vaccine mandates in Ottawa.
The campaign "Freedom Convoy 2022" had raised nearly $5 million through GiveSendGo as of Monday.
GiveSendGo, which launched in 2014, permitted donations for Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense. The fundraiser allowed him to post $2 million bail after GoFundMe had blocked donations. GoFundMe lifted its ban on fundraisers for Rittenhouse following the teenager’s acquittal in November.
His remarks come as Ottawa police have been turning up on the heat on demonstrators, making several arrests, ticketing about 500 people and threatening charges for anyone caught providing fuel to truckers. After convincing GoFundMe to shut down the convoy’s campaign last week, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly warned those financially supporting protesters that police will "continue to go after the money."
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A truck convoy of anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators continue to block the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alta., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP) (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press)
GiveSendGo is open to supporting the Freedom Convoy, as Wells blasted tech companies for trying to suppress speech.
"Where did Big Tech decide to take on this position of making those decisions? And we as a platform and I think we’re part of a tsunami movement of technology platforms saying, we don’t need to be in that position, the government already holds a role in going after illegal behavior. And, so, I don’t need to step in and make that decision for people. People are adults and can make their own," Wells said.
"How GoFundMe thinks they can be the gatekeeper is beyond me and it doesn’t make sense and stands in the face of all the freedoms that have been — that we have as Americans in western society and all we stand for."
Facing a potential fraud investigation by the state of Florida, GoFundMe reversed a decision to redistribute money given by thousands of donors to the Canadian "Freedom Convoy" protesting COVID-19 regulations.
Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.