At the height of the Canadian trucker “Freedom Convoy,” as it occupied Ottawa, Canada’s capital, the Biden administration pressured Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to shut the convoy down.
The revelation of the Biden administration’s involvement came from an investigation into Trudeau’s decision to use the Emergencies Act, which replaced the War Measures Act in 1988 and had never been used before, to shut the truckers’ occupation down last February 14.
“After discussing with cabinet and caucus, after consultation with premiers from all provinces and territories, the federal government has invoked the emergencies act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations,” Trudeau announced in a press conference. “I want to be very clear, the scope of these measures will be time-limited, geographically targeted, as well as reasonable and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address. The emergencies act will be used to strengthen and support law enforcement agencies at all levels across the country.”
“In addition, financial institutions will be authorized and directed to render essential services to help address the situation including by regulating and prohibiting the use of property to fund or support illegal blockades,” Trudeau added.
Chrystia Freeland, Canada&#8217;s finance minister, asserted that banks and other financial institutions in Canada had the authority to “temporarily cease providing financial services where the institution suspects that an account is being used to further the illegal blockades and occupations. This order covers both personal and corporate accounts.”
“These changes cover all forms of transactions,” she continued. “The illegal blockades have highlighted the fact that crowd-funding platforms and some of the payment service providers they use are not fully captured under the proceeds of the Crime and Terrorist Financing Act.”
Days prior to that, on February 10, Freeland received a call from Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council and Biden’s top economic adviser, she told the current inquiry. “They are very, very, very worried,” Freeland emailed her staff, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/24/washington-ottawa-freedom-convoy-00070817" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> reported. “If this is not sorted out in the next 12 hours, all of their northeastern car plants will shut down.”
Freeland then requested that Deese set up a call between Biden and Trudeau. He would “try to make it happen,” she wrote to staff.
“Brian Clow, Trudeau’s deputy chief of staff, had already heard from White House officials including Juan Gonzalez, special assistant to the president and the National Security Council senior director for the Western Hemisphere,” Politico noted.
Biden and Trudeau spoke on February 11. After the conversation, Clow alerted Freeland that that the two men spoke about American influence on convoy, including “money, people, and political/media support,” Politico stated.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reportedly contacted Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra urging him create “a plan to resolve” the issue of the convoy. Alghabra told the commission investigating the issue that the call was “unusual.”
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.
Related: <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-trudeau-announces-unprecedented-action-freezing-bank-accounts-of-freedom-convoy-protesters/">Trudeau Announces Unprecedented Action, Freezing Bank Accounts Of ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protesters</a>

Clean up us well underway on Wellington Street after protesters from the “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa were moved from in front of Parliament Hill by police after blockading the the downtown core of Canada’s capitol for over three weeks.

Biden Administration Pressured Trudeau To Shut Down Freedom Convoy

Biden Administration

Canada

Freedom Convoy

Justin Trudeau

Politics

U.S.

Protesters associated with Canada’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/freedom-convoy">Freedom Convoy</a> demonstrated in Ottawa on Friday to protest COVID <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vaccine-mandate">mandates</a> on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/canada">Canada Day</a>. 
The demonstrations in Canada’s capital city came just months after the Freedom Convoy spent three weeks camped out in the city protesting the government’s vaccine mandates and days after one of the convoy’s organizers was arrested for allegedly not following the conditions of her bail.
“We are going to be peaceful. We are going to be lawful. And if [police] want to try and crack down on us for peacefully protesting on Parliament Hill, then there&#8217;s nothing we can do. We&#8217;ll just have to deal with it at that time,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/freedom-convoy-protesters-canada-day-ottawa-arrival-1.6507855">said</a> Andrew MacGillvray of Veterans for Freedom, a group related to the Freedom Convoy. 
According to Politico, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/01/on-canada-day-trudeau-shows-the-flag-00043840">hundreds</a> of demonstrators showed up to protest government COVID mandates and the leadership of Prime Minister <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/justin-trudeau">Justin Trudeau</a>, who previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trudeau-will-respond-to-freedom-convoy-with-unprecedented-emergency-power-reports">said</a> protesters were &#8220;trying to blockade our economy, our democracy.&#8221;
Demonstrators waved “F*** Trudeau” flags, and had “Freedom Convoy 2022” gear for sale. 
“Canada has never been perfect, and it’s not perfect now,” Trudeau said during his remarks on Canada Day, the day when the Canadian Federation was formed. “Let’s remember the values that it stands for: Compassion, hope and responsibility, justice, openness and hard work.”
Trudeau has taken heat in recent months for the government’s COVID vaccine mandate for truckers and his government&#8217;s response to the protests.
Pierre Polievre, a candidate running to lead Canada’s Conservative Party and become prime minister, opposes the mandates and walked with anti-mandate demonstrators on Thursday.
“End all mandates. Restore our freedoms. Let people take back control of their lives,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/PierrePoilievre/status/1542610025834655744">tweeted</a>.
The demonstrations also followed the arrest of Tamara Lich, an organizer of the original Freedom Convoy, after she allegedly did not follow the conditions of her bail. Lich, who was <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/freedom-convoy-tamara-lich-arrested-1.6503718">arrested</a> in Alberta, now needs to go back to Ottawa for a court appearance. 
&#8220;Based on everything we knew, she&#8217;s been diligently complying with all of her bail conditions as was noted by the judge at her recent bail review,” one of her lawyers said. 
She was originally arrested and charged with obstructing police, mischief, intimidation by blocking, and other charges related to the February protest.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Attends Canada Day Celebrations In Nation’s Capital

Freedom Convoy Protesters Show Up On Canada Day To Protest COVID Mandates, Trudeau

Freedom Convoy Protesters Show Up In Ottawa On Canada Day

Vaccine Mandate

One of Canada&#8217;s biggest banks apologized for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canadian-lawmakers-press-trudeau-officials-on-frozen-bank-accounts-effectively-removing-them-from-society">freezing the bank account</a> of one of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/freedom-convoy">Freedom Convoy</a> organizers during the demonstration against Canada&#8217;s COVID measures.
Scotiabank issued the apology to Benjamin Dichter, whose bank account was frozen during the month-long protests that began in late January. Scotiabank and other lenders acted after, under Trudeau, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland ordered banks to stop providing services to protesters.
“Please accept our sincere apologies for the frustration and inconvenience this situation may have caused,” the bank said in a March letter to Dichter only now being reported by the <a href="https://thenationaltelegraph.com/national/scotiabank-apologizes-for-freezing-bank-accounts-during-the-emergencies-act">National Telegraph</a>. “We can confirm that financial institutions acted quickly to unfreeze accounts after the RCMP notified us that it believes that individuals and entities previously identified are no longer engaged in conduct or activities prohibited under the Emergency Measures Regulations.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This should really bring the <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@justintrudeau</a> government down. But it won&#39;t. Apologies from Scotiabank to the truckers <a href="https://t.co/TXIpbYQZcY">https://t.co/TXIpbYQZcY</a>
&mdash; Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1531615178990792704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The protests, in which truckers from all over the country converged on Ottawa to protest mandatory vaccinations, brought the nation&#8217;s capital to a standstill. An enraged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau baselessly called the protesters racists and &#8220;transphobic&#8221; before instructing Freehand to invoke Canada&#8217;s Emergency Act to punish protesters and those who donated to their cause. Millions of dollars raised on behalf of the protesters through crowdfunding sites GoFundMe and GiveSendGo were blocked from being distributed to the demonstrators.
Hundreds of Canadians had their bank accounts frozen for either taking part in or supporting the protests. Banks began to unfreeze accounts in late February, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/22/world/americas/canada-protest-finances.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police provided banks with lists of Canadians whose accounts the government wanted to be frozen.
“We primarily relied on the names provided by the RCMP,&#8221; Canadian Bankers Association General Counsel Angelina Mason <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-banks-went-beyond-rcmp-list-of-names-in-freezing-a-small-number-of/">told Parliament</a> in March. &#8220;But there were obligations under the order, separate from that, that required banks to make their own determinations.&#8221;
The letter to Dichter, which was dated March 3 but only revealed this week, is apparently a reply to an inquiry he lodged in February. Dichter said he doesn&#8217;t hold the banks completely responsible.
“I don’t believe the banks went out of their way to target clients,&#8221; <a href="https://bjdichter.substack.com/p/bank-apologizes-over-trucker-convoy?s=r">he told Canadian radio host Marc Patrone</a>. &#8220;I believe It came from somewhere else. They didn’t do it on their own accord.”
“My interpretation of their response is, &#8216;we do not want to do this,'&#8221; he added. &#8220;As soon as they allowed us to, give you access to your account, we did so immediately. It wasn’t our choice.”
Despite the backlash against Trudeau, his Liberal Party reached a deal in March with the leftist opposition New Democratic Party that keeps the <a id="_ap_link_party_GreenParty_" class=" uOtk efBMc LIsPj wIScF " tabindex="0" href="https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/GreenParty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liberal Party</a> in power until at least 2025.
&#8220;This should really bring the <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1cvl2hr r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" role="link" href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau">@justintrudeau</a> government down,&#8221; tweeted frequent Trudeau critic Jordan Peterson. &#8220;But it won&#8217;t.&#8221;

Canadian Bank’s Apology To Freedom Convoy Organizer For Freezing Account Revealed

Canadian Bank's Apology To Freedom Convoy Organizer For Freezing Account Revealed

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz joined the &#8220;People&#8217;s Convoy&#8221; of truckers at Hagerstown Speedway on Thursday morning and joined to ride in the passenger&#8217;s seat of the lead truck as the protest began its fourth day.
&#8220;Thank you to every trucker who is standing up for freedom for every man, woman, and child in America!&#8221; Cruz posted alongside a video of him riding in the truck leading the convoy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thank you to every trucker who is standing up for freedom for every man, woman, and child in America! <a href="https://t.co/DJeoHtWEXy">pic.twitter.com/DJeoHtWEXy</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1501945269256011795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Cruz also addressed the truck drivers at the speedway prior to the start of the convoy.
&#8220;God bless The People&#8217;s Convoy!&#8221; the senator tweeted in an earlier post.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
God bless The People’s Convoy! <a href="https://t.co/lAcgqauYqX">pic.twitter.com/lAcgqauYqX</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1501935958177947655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“The convoy is not [going into D.C.],”  driver Brian Brase said from inside the lead truck, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/03/10/peoples-convoy-protest-ted-cruz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> The Washington Post. “The convoy’s going to continue its normal operation.”
The trucks have been driving in circles around the Capital Beltway to protest COVID-19 mandates and other restrictions to American freedom.
Protesters and supporters joined in the excitement as Cruz not only spoke to the convoy but then joined by climbing into the passenger seat of the lead vehicle.
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Cruz will be riding in one of the trucks for today’s convoy. <a href="https://t.co/7Q8bp2SrYc">pic.twitter.com/7Q8bp2SrYc</a>
&mdash; Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) <a href="https://twitter.com/Julio_Rosas11/status/1501933347139772418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“Your voice is being heard,” Cruz told the crowd during his speech, according to the Post. “What the men and women want here is for the government to leave you the hell alone &#8230; That is the most American sentiment you could imagine.”
The move comes just two days after Cruz and fellow GOP Sen. Ron Johnson from Wisconsin sat down to talk with the convoy&#8217;s leaders on Tuesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonChron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HoustonChron</a> : Sen. Ted Cruz meets with leaders of ‘Peoples Convoy’ trucker vaccine protest in Washington <a href="https://t.co/pUF763pOEA">https://t.co/pUF763pOEA</a>
&mdash; Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/status/1501352074394619908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The movement reportedly departed from California on February 23, and the convoy was joined by hundreds of others by the time the convoy reached the Maryland speedway location. The focus on peaceful demonstration has been emphasized. The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/peoples-convoy-prepares-to-jam-up-washington-d-c-traffic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>“The message of The People’s Convoy is simple. The last 23 months of the COVID-19 pandemic have been a rough road for all Americans to travel: spiritually, emotionally, physically, and – not least –financially,” the convoy says in a manifesto. “With the advent of the vaccine and workable therapeutic agents, along with the hard work of so many sectors that contributed to declining COVID-19 cases and severity of illness, it is now time to re-open the country.”
“The average American worker needs to be able to end-run the economic hardships of the last two years, and get back to the business of making bread – so they can pay their rents and mortgages and help jumpstart this economy. To that end, it’s time for elected officials to work with the blue collar and white-collar workers of America and restore accountability and liberty – by lifting all mandates and ending the state of emergency – as COVID is well-in-hand now, and Americans need to get back to work in a free and unrestricted manner,” the organizers wrote.</blockquote>
The convoy was originally inspired by the popular &#8220;Freedom Convoy&#8221; trucking protests in Canada. The movement lasted for several weeks during January and February. The protest against Canada&#8217;s truck driver vaccine mandate included thousands of trucks traveling to the nation&#8217;s capital of Ottawa as well as to border crossings prior to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau&#8217;s controversial decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to crack down on protesters.

People’s Convoy

WATCH: Ted Cruz Rides Shotgun In Lead Truck To Kick Off Fourth Day Of ‘People’s Convoy’

Ted Cruz

Something caught my ear in the car, listening to a radio simulcast of the Feb. 21 &#8220;PBS NewsHour.&#8221; Anchor Judy Woodruff dryly reported that &#8220;Canadian police have arrested more than 190 protesters and issued 389 charges in connection with the so-called Freedom Convoy.&#8221;
The &#8220;so-called Freedom Convoy.&#8221; It&#8217;s a journalistic term, the use of which can be interpreted as distancing themselves from something that&#8217;s not true. After 9/11, we heard about the &#8220;so-called War on Terror.&#8221; Democrats hated that term. Dan Rather used to get out the 10-foot pole and report on &#8220;the Republican political lobbying group that calls itself, quote, the &#8216;Christian Coalition.'&#8221; This could be described as &#8220;so-called journalism.&#8221;
So, I decided to put this term &#8220;so-called Freedom Convoy&#8221; into the Nexis news database to see how often it cropped up on television. The answer was quite a lot. It began as soon as the protests began on Jan. 29.
CNN&#8217;s Jim Acosta was barking: &#8220;Canadian officials say they were sickened to see protesters dancing on that country&#8217;s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This all began as the so-called Freedom Convoy of truckers who drove across the country for several days before arriving in Ottawa yesterday&#8230;&#8221;
If Acosta thinks it&#8217;s a disreputable protest, then it&#8217;s probably about &#8220;freedom.&#8221; This is the same operative who fought with White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany in June of 2020, suggesting Trump rallies were COVID-19 superspreaders. When she suggested the media were incoherent, that they didn&#8217;t feel Black Lives Matter protests were unhealthy, he lamely shot back: &#8220;But these are protesters protesting against injustice, against racism and police brutality. This is a rally, a political rally.&#8221;
Liberal protests are for justice, so they weren&#8217;t superspreaders. It&#8217;s &#8220;science.&#8221;
CNN really hated the Canadian protesters. On Feb. 8 at midnight, anchor John Vause wasn&#8217;t holding back. &#8220;Freedom from truth, freedom from civility, freedom from reality. Canada&#8217;s so-called Freedom Convoy. The truckers&#8217; protest over all pandemic restrictions galvanizes far-right groups worldwide.&#8221;
It turns out that CNN hated the Canadian protests so much that I found the term &#8220;so-called Freedom Convoy&#8221; used in 62 different hours of CNN coverage. There were 12 of them on Feb. 12 alone, in half the hours of that day.
Let&#8217;s stipulate that CNN offers pretty much its entire day of transcripts for the database, and plenty of these were in the overnight hours, when the news is more international.
Every other liberal network used this term, too, but much less. MSNBC only used it four times in the Nexis sample (but they put fewer hours into the system). ABC used it on six programs, CBS on five, NBC on four, and PBS only two.
On MSNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Deadline White House,&#8221; substitute host Alicia Menendez warned of &#8220;the so-called Freedom Convoy, crippling the U.S. and Canadian economy, raising security alarms about copycat protests. So why is the U.S. right wing cheering them on?&#8221;
Now try to imagine the sometimes-violent rioting and looting in the summer of 2020, which the networks described with positive terms, like &#8220;racial reckoning.&#8221; Would anyone ever refer to &#8220;so-called Black Lives Matter protests&#8221;?
I searched CNN for &#8220;so-called Black Lives Matter,&#8221; and there was one record. It was live coverage of the 2020 Republican National Convention on Wednesday night, Aug. 26. It wasn&#8217;t an interview, just an open mic. Jack Brewer of Black Voices for Trump was saying the media &#8220;ignore the so-called Black Lives Matter organization that openly, on their website, called for the destruction of the nuclear family.&#8221;
On this protest story, CNN sounded a bit like White Voices for Trudeau.
The views expressed in this piece are the author&#8217;s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Protesters

GRAHAM: Allergic To The ‘So-Called Freedom Convoy’

Legacy Media

You have to hand it to GoFundMe. The donation platform just decisively proved that Big Tech doesn’t have a monopoly on radicalism. So does the next tier of Silicon Valley darling — call it &#8220;Medium Tech.&#8221;
GoFundMe made this fact clear when it<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/07/canada-protesters-fundraising-platform/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/07/canada-protesters-fundraising-platform/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2epzKrSockr6XOqBN8r76J"> suddenly seized $8 million</a> that people had donated in support of the Canada trucker protest, known as the “Freedom Convoy.” Not only did the tech company refuse to give that money to the truckers, who were protesting heavy-handed pandemic mandates, but it then announced that it would<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10478989/GoFundMe-cancels-Freedom-Convoy-distribute-9M-donations-charities.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10478989/GoFundMe-cancels-Freedom-Convoy-distribute-9M-donations-charities.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0DpKEa6EaxBFceLTHpomiE"> give the money to other causes</a>. Only after people angrily pointed out that they donated the money to the truckers did GoFundMe<a href="https://medium.com/gofundme-stories/update-gofundme-statement-on-the-freedom-convoy-2022-fundraiser-4ca7e9714e82" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://medium.com/gofundme-stories/update-gofundme-statement-on-the-freedom-convoy-2022-fundraiser-4ca7e9714e82&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw27iilaijvjWn3gJOY-sSmX"> agree to refund them</a>.
There’s only one possible explanation for these actions: An intolerant, extreme, and exclusionary worldview. GoFundMe is the same company that <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/five-times-gofundme-shut-down-conservative-fundraisers" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/five-times-gofundme-shut-down-conservative-fundraisers&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1rDq1LEOsmYIPYFoXj9uon">facilitated donations</a> to groups like Antifa, which organizes riots, and the armed mob that captured an entire Seattle neighborhood and kicked out the police in 2020. It takes a special kind of radicalism to accept anarchy in the streets yet oppose civil disobedience by protesters who simply wanted to save their jobs and preserve their freedom.
And GoFundMe isn’t alone. Much of Medium Tech suffers from the same ideological extremism. While Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Apple draw the most attention for silencing people and imposing their views on society, scores of smaller tech companies do the same thing on a regular basis.
Take GoDaddy, the popular web hosting company. Last year, it<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/3/22656196/godaddy-texas-right-for-life-abortion-whistleblowing-site" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/3/22656196/godaddy-texas-right-for-life-abortion-whistleblowing-site&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw18spVangmAGu_dApK3xsJx"> refused to host a pro-life website</a> that helped uphold a Texas law limiting abortions. Opposing abortion is a cardinal sin in Silicon Valley, and GoDaddy meted out punishment accordingly.
Then there’s MailChimp. After the 2020 election, the email service<a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/11/16/mailchimp-deplatforming-a-local-tea-party-is-a-hallmark-of-fascism/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thefederalist.com/2020/11/16/mailchimp-deplatforming-a-local-tea-party-is-a-hallmark-of-fascism/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0qOPBDym2ODRJo6fkiNjpA"> suspended the Northern Virginia Tea Party</a>, which had the gall to hold a rally calling for election integrity. That, too, ran afoul of elite tech views, resulting in punitive measures.
The list of companies engaging in censorship continues, from <a href="https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/can-your-cloud-provider-deplatform-you" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/can-your-cloud-provider-deplatform-you&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw28f4pUOzfXs6v8puBV3rCZ">payment processor Stripe</a> to <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/spotify-deletes-joe-rogan-podcast-episodes/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thewrap.com/spotify-deletes-joe-rogan-podcast-episodes/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Zc9Jy4gn_U3PjliSB9eQ1">music streaming service Spotify</a>. The widespread nature of this phenomenon proves that tech’s willingness to censor and suppress doesn’t stem from the size of a company. Big Tech, Medium Tech, it doesn’t matter: This problem affects virtually the entire industry, and it springs from a deeper source.
As a tech entrepreneur with experience in Silicon Valley and Seattle, I’ve seen that source firsthand. Tech companies recruit from increasingly radicalized universities, while setting up shop in increasingly radicalized cities. The result is an<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/technology/silicon-valley-politics.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/technology/silicon-valley-politics.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3wWrjCLyDZX95P36X2IPbx"> overpowering ideological uniformity</a> that’s dead-set on its own rightness and dangerously hostile to disagreement.
Given the soil in which it’s planted, is there any wonder that so much of tech trends toward censorship and suppression, especially on matters of politics and culture? And given how powerful and dominant Silicon Valley and Seattle are in tech, is it any wonder that what starts there spreads industry-wide?
Americans deserve better. We need new tech – the kind that respects free speech, religious belief, individual liberty, human dignity, and broadly speaking, American ideals. And we need new tech leaders, from across the political spectrum, who will make that vision a reality.
That starts by moving tech beyond its current limitations, which means moving tech innovation outside the current radicalized hotspots. This process is underway, driven by a wide variety of people with diverse beliefs and backgrounds. From Elon Musk to Cathie Wood, from Oracle to HP, dozens if not hundreds of entrepreneurs and companies have moved from the West Coast to places like Texas and Florida. (<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/im-leaving-seattle-for-texas-so-my-employees-can-be-free-11593211124" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wsj.com/articles/im-leaving-seattle-for-texas-so-my-employees-can-be-free-11593211124&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2MRznOovSn6tC6DCG0bgQ2">My company is among them</a>.) Setting up shop in more culturally varied and less ideologically uniform areas will encourage tech innovators to serve bigger audiences and respect broader views.
But we have a long way to go. I estimate that at least 80% of tech’s funding, innovation, and hiring still happens in those radicalized West Coast hubs. That needs to change, and fast. People of all political views<a href="https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2020/9/dfp_antitrust_tech_polling.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2020/9/dfp_antitrust_tech_polling.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645829442106000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1aDC3gsx4reNtcjuT069qb"> agree that tech has major problems</a>, yet there’s no chance of solving them if the same intolerant people keep building the same intolerant tech in the same intolerant places. Those of us who know that tech is heading in the wrong direction – whether conservative, liberal, or independent – must build new platforms, apps, and algorithms on a new foundation, nationwide.
The alternative is to let tech keep getting worse. It’s already happening with Big Tech. Now it’s happening with Medium Tech, too. How far down do we have to go before we get serious about solving tech’s problems – and disrupting this increasingly destructive industry?
Mr. Rex is founder and CEO of Rex, which builds and invests in tech companies.

Convoy

What GoFundMe’s Trucker Convoy Targeting Says About Tech

Readers Pass

On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will revoke the Emergencies Act after using the powers to break-up and target key organizers and participants in the Freedom Convoy protest, a movement of truckers and citizens who protested Canada&#8217;s vaccine mandate and restrictions.
The AP first <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-canada-ottawa-justin-trudeau-f9d9a22d48dfdc7a3130e51e1060c1cb">reported </a>the story:
<blockquote>Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday he is removing emergency powers police can use after authorities ended the border blockades by those opposed to COVID-19 restrictions as well as the occupation of downtown Ottawa.
Trudeau invoked the powers last week and lawmakers affirmed the powers late Monday. Trudeau said then the powers were still needed but noted they would not still in place a day longer than necessary.</blockquote>
As noted by the AP, the emergency powers granted the Canadian government authority &#8220;to declare certain areas as no-go zones&#8221;and also allowed &#8220;police to freeze truckers’ personal and corporate bank accounts and compel tow truck companies to haul away vehicles.&#8221;
Earlier this week, a Canadian law enforcement official told the press that investigations into the Freedom Convoy would go on for months.
But, during a speech on Wednesday, Trudeau announced that &#8220;after careful consideration&#8221; the situation was no longer an emergency and that the act could be revoked.
&#8220;We were very clear that our use of the Emergencies Act would be limited in time,&#8221; he added.  Trudeau also said that existing local and federal laws would &#8220;keep people safe.&#8221;
His comments can be seen here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trudeau announces end of Emergencies Act. <a href="https://t.co/sHnrsZCDQN">pic.twitter.com/sHnrsZCDQN</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1496596174916182018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire has reported that Trudeau received fierce backlash for enacting the powers on a mostly peaceful protest. &#8220;Jason Kenney, the Premier of the Canadian province of Alberta, announced Saturday that he was suing the federal government of Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for their use of the Emergencies Act, calling the move unjustified in the circumstances,&#8221; The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canadian-premier-suing-over-trudeaus-use-of-emergencies-act-there-is-no-insurrection-or-coup?CLUTTERPOP">reported</a> Sunday.
&#8220;The situation in Ottawa is serious. Law and order has to be restored,&#8221; Kenney said at the time, “But the Emergencies Act was designed to come into effect at the failure of the state,” in the event of a coup or insurrection that threatened to topple Canada’s democratic institutions. However, there is no insurrection or coup.&#8221;
&#8220;Conservative Member of Parliament Philip Lawrence also said that the wording of the Emergencies Act grants the federal government far-reaching authority to freeze the accounts of people only tangentially involved in the protest,&#8221; The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canadian-lawmakers-press-trudeau-officials-on-frozen-bank-accounts-effectively-removing-them-from-society">reported</a>.
&#8220;The de-banking provisions are so broad, that literally a clerk at a Kwik-E-Mart who sold a propane canister to a protester could have his accounts frozen,” Lawrence claimed.
A Canadian court also <a href="http://amara Lich, one of the organizers of Canada’s Freedom Convoy movement, was denied bail by an Ottawa judge on Tuesday, as reports claimed the judge “was not convinced” she would stay home.">denied</a> Tamara Lich, one of the organizers of Canada’s Freedom Convoy movement, bail because they were worried she was a flight-risk after being elected by Canadian law enforcement.
Is unclear what will happen to those arrested and when individuals will have access to their bank accounts again.
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.
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Justin Trudeau Revokes Emergency Powers Used To Target Freedom Convoy

Canadian donors to the Freedom Convoy who gave even small amounts are at risk of having their bank accounts frozen under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Emergencies Act powers.
Department of Finance Assistant Deputy Minister Isabelle Jacques testified in Canada’s Parliament on Tuesday that anyone who donated to the convoy after Trudeau’s February 15 emergency declaration is a potential target for financial penalties. Jacques claimed that law enforcement have stopped requesting bank accounts be frozen since the last of the protesters were cleared from Ottawa’s Parliament Hill on Monday, according to the <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/even-small-donation-to-freedom-convoy-after-feb-15-enough-to-have-donors-bank-accounts-frozen-finance-committee-told">National Post</a>.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have denied using the data from crowdfunding sites such as GiveSendGo to target convoy supporters. The RCMP said in a Monday statement that they have only recommended action be taken against key figures identified in the protest and those protesters who refused to leave last week when ordered.
Jacques testified that action had been taken against 206 accounts. MPs critical of Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act pushed back against Jacques testimony saying that Canadians’ bank accounts were still being frozen.
“Some people’s accounts are being frozen right now,” NDP MP Daniel Blaikie told the assistant deputy Finance minister. “There’s the appearance that some people feel their accounts are being frozen as a result of the emergency orders, in some cases that does not cohere with what we’re hearing from government.”
Conservative MP Philip Lawrence said that the wording of the Emergencies Act grants the federal government far-reaching authority to freeze the accounts of people only tangentially involved in the protest. “The de-banking provisions are so broad, that literally a clerk at a Kwik-E-Mart who sold a propane canister to a protester could have his accounts frozen,” Lawrence said.
“When you freeze someone’s bank account, you’re effectively removing them from society,” he said.
As some Canadian lawmakers continue to accuse Trudeau’s government of overreach in dealing with the protesters, some officials are pushing the prime minister to go further. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson argued earlier this week that assets seized from the Freedom Convoy, such as trailers, cranes, and trucks, should be sold off and the profit given to the city. Watson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ottawa-mayor-floats-selling-assets-seized-from-freedom-convoy-to-recoup-some-of-the-costs">said</a>:
<blockquote>You (protesters) have disrupted our city, you’ve hurt our small business community, and this is costing a small fortune for the taxpayers of Ottawa. That’s one of the reasons why under the Emergencies Act, I’ve asked our solicitor and our city manager: How can we keep the tow trucks and the campers and the vans and everything else that we’ve confiscated, and sell those pieces of equipment to help recoup some of the costs that our taxpayers are absorbing? So that’s one of the provisions of the Emergencies Act, and we have been a beneficiary of the Emergencies Act. As they debated on the Hill, I asked the members of Parliament to consider [how] it’s helped us a lot on things like confiscating vehicles, not having to swear in peace officers through the RCMP, and so many other things that have been very helpful over the course of this period.</blockquote>
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Canadian Lawmakers Press Trudeau Officials On Frozen Bank Accounts: ‘Effectively Removing Them From Society’

Trucker Convoy

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson proposed confiscating and selling vehicles and other assets taken from Freedom Convoy protesters to cover the cost of policing and expelling the protest.
Watson argued Monday that the assets of protesters should be seized to “recoup some of the costs” of the Freedom Convoy, which took over parts of downtown Ottawa in late January in protest of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions. Watson said in part:
<blockquote>You (protesters) have disrupted our city, you’ve hurt our small business community, and this is costing a small fortune for the taxpayers of Ottawa. That’s one of the reasons why under the Emergencies Act, I’ve asked our solicitor and our city manager: How can we keep the tow trucks and the campers and the vans and everything else that we’ve confiscated, and sell those pieces of equipment to help recoup some of the costs that our taxpayers are absorbing? So that’s one of the provisions of the Emergencies Act, and we have been a beneficiary of the Emergencies Act. As they debated on the Hill, I asked the members of Parliament to consider [how] it’s helped us a lot on things like confiscating vehicles, not having to swear in peace officers through the RCMP, and so many other things that have been very helpful over the course of this period.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: Mayor of Ottawa says he wants to “recoup costs” by selling the trucks and equipment they confiscated under the emergency powers <a href="https://t.co/64pHDiVPGb">pic.twitter.com/64pHDiVPGb</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1495852618144526344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act last week as a “last resort” to handle the weeks-long protest. The emergency powers allowed the federal government to expand police powers and task financial institutions with freezing the assets of individuals involved in the “illegal blockades,” Trudeau said.
On Friday, federal, provincial, and local law enforcement cracked down on the Freedom Convoy protest, moving methodically through the protest area on Parliament Hill pushing out protesters and towing away vehicles.
Canada’s Parliament voted 185-151 to expand Trudeau’s emergency powers for 30 days on Monday. The prime minister <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/canadas-trudeau-calls-national-healing-after-truckers-blockade-over-covid-curbs-2022-02-21/">claimed</a> to reporters before the vote that “this state of emergency is not over. There continue to be real concerns about the coming days.”
In his comments last week announcing the Emergencies Act declaration, Trudeau said that the measures would be “time-limited” and “geographically-targeted.” As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trudeau-announces-unprecedented-action-freezing-bank-accounts-of-freedom-convoy-protesters">The Daily Wire</a> reported:
<blockquote>“After discussing with cabinet and caucus, after consultation with premiers from all provinces and territories, the federal government has invoked the emergencies act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations,” Trudeau announced in a press conference. “I want to be very clear, the scope of these measures will be time-limited, geographically targeted, as well as reasonable and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address. The emergencies act will be used to strengthen and support law enforcement agencies at all levels across the country.”
The Emergencies Act powers will “strengthen” law enforcement’s ability to fine and imprison protesters, according to the prime minister. The act will be enforced most heavily in areas of “critical infrastructure” such as airports and border crossings. Trudeau said that the act also ensures “essential services” such as towing away trucks used to blockade roads and highways.
“In addition, financial institutions will be authorized and directed to render essential services to help address the situation including by regulating and prohibiting the use of property to fund or support illegal blockades,” Trudeau added.</blockquote>
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Jim Watson

Ottawa Mayor Floats Selling Assets Seized From Freedom Convoy To ‘Recoup Some Of The Costs’

Truckers

Tamara Lich, one of the organizers of Canada&#8217;s Freedom Convoy movement, was denied bail by an Ottawa judge on Tuesday, as reports claimed the judge &#8220;was not convinced&#8221; she would stay home.
Lich, an Alberta resident behind the $10 million crowdfunding project halted by GoFundMe, was arrested Thursday and charged with &#8220;counselling to commit mischief.&#8221; Lich&#8217;s bank account was also reportedly frozen.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING— <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreedomConvoy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreedomConvoy</a> organizer Tamara Lich has been arrested by ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/OttawaPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OttawaPolice</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/cK9CadOPaR">pic.twitter.com/cK9CadOPaR</a>
&mdash; Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) <a href="https://twitter.com/joe_warmington/status/1494486976963260449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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On Tuesday, Lich appeared before Ontario Court Justice Julie Bourgeois, expecting to post bail and return home. Instead, her bail was denied.
&#8220;There is a substantial risk you will continue these actions and will not abide by an order,” the judge told Lich, according to Global News reporter David Akin.
“Your recent history in our city … satisfies me that your detention is necessary for the safety and protection of the public,&#8221; the judge added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;There is a substantial risk you will continue these actions and will not abide by an order,” judge tells Lich. “Your recent history in our city … satisfies me that your detention is necessary for the safety and protection of the public.&quot;
&mdash; David Akin 🇨🇦 (@davidakin) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidakin/status/1496125741859328000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Another post noted the judge <a href="https://twitter.com/davidakin/status/1496125923892023304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stating</a>, &#8220;I found your testimony to be guarded and your attitude almost to be obstructive.&#8221;
The response appeared harsh, as Lich &#8220;has no criminal record and is ready to abide by conditions imposed on her by the court should she be released,&#8221; Global News chief political correspondent David Akin wrote on Twitter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Lich, in court in Ottawa wearing a mask and her black ski jacket, has now spent five nights in jail in Ottawa. Court has heard she has no criminal record and is ready to abide by conditions imposed on her by the court should she be released.
&mdash; David Akin 🇨🇦 (@davidakin) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidakin/status/1496125107760250896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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A conviction of mischief, depending on the context and fallout, can bring a prison sentence of up to 10 years, according to the report. Lich&#8217;s next court date is scheduled for March 2.
Fellow Freedom Convoy organizer Chris Barber was reportedly released on Tuesday on a $100,000 bond.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For context on Lich bail hearing as judge renders decision. Co-convoy organizer Chris Barber was released on $100,000 bail with promises to return home to Swift Current SK and cease being a convoy organizer.
&mdash; David Akin 🇨🇦 (@davidakin) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidakin/status/1496124716117114886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In addition to Lich&#8217;s arrest, Ottawa police said in a statement on Monday that officers &#8220;have made 196 arrests, with 110 facing a variety of charges,&#8221; <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/tamara-lich-key-organizer-of-protests-in-ottawa-denied-bail-1.5790773" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> CTV News Canada.
&#8220;Ottawa police also said 115 vehicles connected to the protest have been towed,&#8221; according to the report.
Canadian law enforcement used crowd-control tactics including horses, pepper spray, and clubs to arrest Freedom Convoy protesters out of downtown Ottawa over the weekend. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-ottawa-police-use-pepper-spray-clubs-horses-against-freedom-convoy-protesters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Law enforcement launched a campaign to break the protest, which has gone on for weeks after truckers rolled into the city in late January to protest against vaccine mandates. The demonstration has since grown to oppose other COVID-19 restrictions as well.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, enacted in 1989 as a successor to the War Measures Act, on Monday as a “last resort” to deal with the Freedom Convoy protest that has camped outside of Parliament for roughly three weeks. Law enforcement began what could be its final crackdown on the protest on Friday after thousands of officers reportedly circled the protest area.
Police began making arrests and towing vehicles. Several hours into the sweep, police have arrested at least 70 protesters and removed over 20 vehicles, according to the <a href="https://twitter.com/OttawaPolice/status/1494777102608052228">Ottawa Police Department</a>. Later in the afternoon, police broke out heavy crowd control tactics such as horses, clubs, and tear gas to push the protesters back.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Police horses are brought in again against the freedom protestors as law enforcement surges forward.
Footage by <a href="https://twitter.com/PuffinsPictures?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PuffinsPictures</a> <a href="https://t.co/CyVCrGICmZ">pic.twitter.com/CyVCrGICmZ</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1494802105147617283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">member</a>.

Tamara Lich

Freedom Convoy Organizer Tamara Lich Denied Bail: ‘Not Convinced She Would Stay Home’

A majority of likely Democratic voters support Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of emergency powers to crack down on Freedom Convoy protesters last week.
A new <a href="https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/news/nat-issues-trudeau-approval-0221/">poll</a> from Trafalgar Group and Convention of States Action and provided exclusively to The Daily Wire shows that 55% of likely general election voters disapprove of Trudeau’s handling of the protesters. Thirty-five percent approve of Trudeau’s heavy-handed tactics and 10% said they were unaware of what was happening north of the U.S. border.
Trafalgar Group surveyed 1080 likely general election voters from February 18-20 after Trudeau brought federal, provincial, and local law enforcement into Ottawa to forcibly clear out hundreds of protesters and dozens of vehicles from Parliament Hill and surrounding areas. The poll’s margin of error is 3%.
Democrats overwhelmingly favored Trudeau’s response with 65% approval to 17% disapproval. Republican responses were weighted even more heavily against Trudeau, however, with 87% of likely GOP voters disapproving to just 8% approving. Respondents who said they did not belong to either one of the two main parties cut against Trudeau’s crackdown with 74% disapproving versus 21% approving.
Aside from Democrats, the only other demographic areas identified in the poll that cut in Trudeau’s favor are the ages 65 and older category and among blacks and Hispanics. Every other demographic – men, women, Asian, white, younger age groups – disapproved of Trudeau’s handling of the protesters.
The largest difference in approval versus disapproval took place among 25 to 34-year-olds. In that age group, 100% of respondents disapproved of Trudeau’s tactics.
Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14 in what he called a “last resort” to break a group of protesters that had held ground outside of Canada’s Parliament since late January. The group of protesters, which began as the trucker-led Freedom Convoy, demonstrated against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other regulations and restrictions.
Under the Emergencies Act, federal authorities went after the bank accounts and other financial assets of anybody even tangentially involved in the protest. Trudeau’s government threatened that any vehicle involved in the protest could lose its insurance. The bank accounts of protesters or anyone suspected of aiding the protesters could be frozen without a court order or due process.
On Friday, hundreds of law enforcement officials swarmed downtown Ottawa where the Freedom Convoy had set up. Police came equipped in riot gear and wielding tear gas, some riding horses, to methodically push the protesters out of the area and tow away vehicles. Law enforcement made hundreds of arrests and towed away dozens of vehicles.
“I want to be very clear, the scope of these measures will be time-limited, geographically targeted, as well as reasonable and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address. The emergencies act will be used to strengthen and support law enforcement agencies at all levels across the country,” Trudeau <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trudeau-announces-unprecedented-action-freezing-bank-accounts-of-freedom-convoy-protesters">said</a> last week announcing the emergency measures. “In addition, financial institutions will be authorized and directed to render essential services to help address the situation including by regulating and prohibiting the use of property to fund or support illegal blockades.”
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Exclusive Poll: Majority Of Democrats Back Trudeau’s Crackdown, Freezing Bank Accounts Of Truckers

Democratic Party

Poll

Jason Kenney, the Premier of the Canadian province of Alberta, announced Saturday that he was suing the federal government of Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for their use of the Emergencies Act, calling the move &#8220;unjustified in the circumstances.&#8221;
During an interview with the Edmonton, Alberta-based <a href="https://edmontonsun.com/opinion/columnists/gunter-alberta-premier-jason-kenney-filing-legal-challenge-to-end-trudeaus-emergencies-act">Edmonton Sun</a>, Kenney said he was filing a legal challenge in Canadian federal court in order to suspend Trudeau and the liberal government&#8217;s implementation of the act to crack down on the &#8220;Freedom Convoy&#8221; protest currently ongoing in the nation&#8217;s capital of Ottawa.
Kenney made clear that he still wanted law and order restored, and did not want to be misconstrued. “The situation in Ottawa is serious. Law and order has to be restored,&#8221; said Kenney, adding that he believed protestors should not be able to blockade the center of any city, much less the nation&#8217;s capital, for any reason or cause. “But the Emergencies Act was designed to come into effect at the failure of the state,” in the event of a coup or insurrection that threatened to topple Canada&#8217;s democratic institutions. “However, there is no insurrection or coup,&#8221; he said. 
The Edmonton Sun reported that the Ottawa Police Department have always had the authority to ticket, and even to arrest, drivers who are parked illegally. “Police services already have all the powers they need through provincial authority. All the tools already exist,&#8221; added Kenney, pointing out that both the blockades of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, and the U.S.-Canada border crossing in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alberta-border-blockade-disbanded-truckers-roll-out-after-police-midnight-raid">Coutts, Alberta</a>, were resolved by the ordinary conduct of police. Neither situation required extraneous powers like the Emergencies Act. “Let’s stick to the basics here — the basics of law enforcement,&#8221; Kenney said.
Kenney took particular issue with the coercive measures imposed on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trudeau-announces-unprecedented-action-freezing-bank-accounts-of-freedom-convoy-protesters">financial institutions</a> by the federal government. Those parts of the Emergencies Act that have to do with banking were “designed to interrupt terrorism financing,” said Kenney, but they are instead being used to “seize and freeze” the assets of “people whose opinions they disagree with.”
The Canadian government has already begun cracking down on the finances of Freedom Convoy supporters. A number of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canadian-finance-minister-says-law-enforcement-already-targeting-bank-accounts-of-freedom-convoy-supporters">bank accounts</a> connected to the protests have been frozen by their financial institutions after referrals from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as previously reported by The Daily Wire. The Daily Wire also reported that the RCMP has additionally ordered freezes on transactions from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canada-orders-freeze-of-34-cryptocurrency-accounts-connected-to-freedom-convoy">34 cryptocurrency wallets</a> connected to the demonstrations, as well as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-gofundme-completely-shuts-down-massive-canadian-freedom-convoy-page-issues-statement">GoFundMe</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-canadian-court-freezes-freedom-convoy-givesendgo-donations">GiveSendGo</a> fundraisers created to support the Freedom Convoy.  If Trudeau and his allies were allowed to continue using their Emergencies Act powers to crack down on political dissent, “it sets a very dangerous precedent,&#8221; Kenney said.
Kenney also took issue with Trudeau&#8217;s personal conduct during the protests. He told the Edmonton Sun that during a teleconference with provincial leaders last week, six of the ten premiers pleaded with Trudeau not to invoke the Emergencies Act, but Trudeau did it anyway. Trudeau also &#8220;provoked&#8221; the truckers by implementing the cross-border mandate. “There was no defensible medical reason to require them to be vaccinated,” said Kenney. Then Trudeau made things worse by vilifying the protestors as a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canadians-furious-after-trudeaus-fringe-minority-comment-as-thousands-of-truckers-head-to-capital">fringe minority,</a>&#8221; and as racists and sexists.
Kenney said he did not expect other provinces to join the suit, but he hoped they would.
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