The Canadian government has confirmed that a number of financial accounts and cryptocurrency wallets have been frozen under the Emergencies Act invoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, warning that more will be targeted as law enforcement seeks to end the weeks-long Freedom Convoy trucker protest.
More Accounts to Be Frozen
Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland stated on Thursday that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has shared the names of individuals and entities, as well as crypto wallet addresses, with financial institutions. “Accounts have been frozen and more accounts will be frozen,” she said. She also noted that crowdfunding platforms and payment service providers have started registering with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), the country's financial intelligence unit.
When asked whether donors to fundraising campaigns such as Givesendgo and Gofundme would be targeted, Freeland replied: “In terms of the specifics on whose accounts are being frozen, you now have the regulations. The financial service providers have those regulations as well, and they, working with law enforcement, will be making the operational decisions.” She also tweeted: “We are making progress. Do not doubt our determination to act, to defend our economy, to defend our democratic institutions, and to restore peace, order, and good government.”
Additionally, Ontario Superior Court Justice Calum MacLeod issued a sweeping order on Thursday freezing all crypto assets and bank accounts belonging to Freedom Convoy leaders. The order requires banks, financial institutions, money service businesses, fundraising platforms, cryptocurrency exchanges, and custodians of any crypto wallets to halt transactions related to the organizers' accounts and wallets.
Truckers Stand Their Ground
Despite these actions, hundreds of truckers clogging Ottawa stood their ground and defiantly blasted their horns on Thursday, even as police arrested two protest organizers, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber. Another organizer, Pat King, was quoted as saying: “I’m prepared to sit on my a** and watch them hit me with pepper spray.” He added, “There’s no tow trucks in Canada that will touch them,” referring to the trucks parked bumper-to-bumper.
Police have also sealed off much of the downtown area to outsiders to prevent them from helping the protesters. Prime Minister Trudeau declared in Parliament: “It’s high time that these illegal and dangerous activities stop. They are a threat to our economy and our relationship with trading partners … They are a threat to public safety.”
The standoff continues, drawing international attention to issues of financial repression, protest rights, and the use of emergency powers. The Freedom Convoy movement, originally protesting vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers, has evolved into a broader anti-government demonstration.