The woman who launched the Freedom Convoy fundraising campaign, whose donations have been almost entirely frozen, was wary of groups with an “agenda” that she suspected wanted to take over the event.
“I was on my guard as to who I trusted,” Tamara Lich testified before the Rouleau Commission on the state of emergency at the end of the day Thursday.
Mme Lich mentioned in particular the group “Taking Back Our Freedoms”, an organization which would have approached him with the intention of profiting from the visibility of the convoy or the millions of dollars raised. She later explained that she had given up meeting Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People’s Party of Canada, since his movement was strictly apolitical.
Like other witnesses close to the organizers of the “Western Convoy”, such as lawyer Keith Wilson, Mr.me Lich has disassociated herself from some controversial elements associated with the Freedom Convoy. She said, for example, that she distanced herself from influencer Patrick “Pat” King for his controversial remarks, or of not having read the manifesto of the group “Canada Unity” which suggested replacing the federal government.
The Medicine Hat, Alta., woman shot to fame last winter for raising $24 million in two crowdfunding campaigns for the Freedom Convoy cause. She remained for most of the occupation of the streets of Ottawa, before being arrested in February.
Tamara Lich served two stints in prison on various charges related to this protest. She broke down in tears several times during her testimony before Judge Paul Rouleau, including when she said she was now ashamed to be seen in public with her daughter.
Millions still frozen
The lawyers of the Rouleau commission presented the results of their investigation into all the funds raised by donations from Internet users. They concluded that of the millions contributed to the two crowdfunding campaigns, a mere $26,000 could ultimately be withdrawn. To this can be added approximately $800,000 in cryptomaie and a fraction of the $400,000 received in bank transfers.
The overwhelming majority of donations made to the fundraising campaign on the GoFundMe site or to the second fundraising campaign on the GiveSendGo site have been refunded to the donors. However, some of these donations, such as the million first authorized by GoFundMe and the balance of the $1.2 million raised in cryptocurrency, were frozen under court orders.
These funds are now in a trust bank account, in escrow, pending the hearing in court of a civil class action case against the organizers of Freedom Convoy.
Emotional testimonials
Prominent organizers and sympathizers of the Freedom Convoy take turns in front of Commissioner Rouleau all week, until Friday. The State of Emergency Commission must mainly determine whether the federal government was justified in invoking the Emergency Measures Act, on February 14, to dislodge this protest movement.
It was notably possible to hear, on Thursday, the trucker James Bauder, behind the organization of Canada Unity and author of the controversial manifesto which was used to justify the emergency measures. The Albertan ended up recognizing that his text indeed suggests dismissing the democratically elected government.
Mr. Bauder at times broke down in tears during his testimony. He suggested he helped lure up to 500 trucks into the convoy to Ottawa, but exaggerated the significance of his movement by suggesting he was the inspiration for other convoys to Canadian cities, such as the one of Quebec, in the United States and in Europe. He made many unfounded comments, including on the vaccine against COVID-19.
All the other organizers of the Freedom Convoy have dissociated themselves from him and his group “Canada Unity”, which nevertheless published routes to Ottawa on its site and which was visible in the streets of the Canadian capital during its occupation.