On Friday, GoFundMe shut down the Canadian Trucker Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser, which was crowdfunding for the ongoing protests by truckers in Canada’s capital, Ottawa.
Both the mayor and police were pleased with the decision and admitted sending GoFundMe the request to takedown the fundraising page, which had raised more than 10 million.
“I want to sincerely thank the team at GoFundMe for listening to the plea made by the City and the Ottawa Police to no longer provide funds to the convoy organizers,” Ottawa’s Mayor Jim Watson tweeted.
The Ottawa Police also thanked the platform, writing: “We want to thank GoFundMe for listening to our concerns as a City and a police service. The decision to withhold funding for these unlawful demonstrations is an important step and we call on all crowdfunding sites to follow.”
In follow-up tweets, Watson explained that GoFundMe made the right decision because the truckers have been holding the city hostage. He believes that without funding, the protesters will leave the city.
“In light of the unlawful behavior that has transpired in the last few days, they have come to the right decision in support of our city and our residents,” Watson tweeted.
“These protesters have been holding our city hostage for a week now, and I’m hopeful that limiting their access to funding and resources will restrict their ability to remain in Ottawa.
“I am imploring similar crowdfunding platforms to take the same position and not enable the group in its fundraising efforts, which would deal a blow to our efforts to put an end to this occupation.”
However, the fundraising has been relaunched on the alternative crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo.
TWO TWITTER FEEDS, Watson
Speaking at World Economic Forum SHAPE North America Conf. #SHAPENA17 @OttawaShapers @ChandraNepean @Yasir_Naqvi pic.twitter.com/AwUeeSUnS5
— Jim Watson (@JimWatsonOttawa) July 12, 2017
2. https://twitter.com/unspinthespina1/status/1490078329982046211?s=20&t=_qmGwtWmF-92DxNjMbRdtA