(OTTAWA) A new data leak shows that approximately 60% of donors on the nationwide protests fundraising page of online fundraising platform GiveSendGo are Canadian and 37% American.
Posted at 8:25 p.m.
According to donation data through February 10, approximately US$540,000 has been raised to support protesters opposing mandatory vaccinations and other health measures across Canada.
This data was revealed by the whistleblower group “Distributed Denial of Secrets”, which has previously provided the media with information from right-wing organizations.
The analysis shows that over 7,400 donors contributed an average of approximately US$72.29 for a total amount of US$540,166.58.
The analysis was released on Tuesday following an earlier leak from the “Freedom Convoy 2022” page on crowdfunding website GiveSendGo, which raised $8.4 million.
This earlier leak showed that 56% of donors to this page were from the United States and 39% from Canada.
GiveSendGo said in a tweet last Tuesday that it had been attacked by “malicious actors” and aggressively sued for what it called cybercrime.
The company said the attack took place on Sunday evening, but it was undeterred. She added that she closed the site at the time of the intrusion to prevent “further illegal actions” and carried out other security checks before she could put it back online.
“We are in a fight. We didn’t expect it to be easy. It didn’t scare us. On the contrary, it has highlighted the fact that we cannot back down,” reads a statement in which GiveSendGo expresses its thanks for “continued support”.
GiveSendGo did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Canadian Press.
Many of the donors in the latest data leak expressed raucous solidarity with the protesters in a comments section alongside their donations.
“Send billions of angels to guide and protect all the bright and brave truckers and freedom seekers! It’s such an amazing move. Keep joy and love in your hearts! That works ! The world is waking up and the tide is changing! Well done Canada! ! ! wrote one US-based donor.
A Canadian donor applauded the protesters, but also urged them to “stop protests” in provinces where premiers have announced an end to mandatory vaccinations and other health measures. “Let the other provinces see that the protesters are listening. If Prime Ministers do not follow through on (their) word, then protest again,” the donor added.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that the government is invoking the Emergency Measures Act in an attempt to end the protests against mandatory vaccinations and other public health restrictions that have paralyzed downtown Ottawa and across the country.
The measures include giving banks the power to suspend or freeze the accounts of those who support blockades and force crowdfunding and cryptocurrency platforms to comply with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws.
Donors had raised more than 10 million for the protesters through the GoFundMe platform before the site ended the fundraising campaign for violating its terms of service.
The protesters then turned to other platforms, such as GiveSendGo, which has been the victim of data theft.
Last week, the Ontario government succeeded in obtaining a Superior Court order to freeze access to millions of dollars donated by GiveSendGo to the convoy protesting in Ottawa and several border crossings against the mandatory vaccination of truckers. border crossings and other public health restrictions imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.