(OTTAWA) No foreign funds were used to finance the “freedom convoy” during its first week, according to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). This was indicated by its director, David Vigneault, during a telephone meeting on February 6 between the federal government, the government of Ontario and senior officials of the City of Ottawa.
Posted at 4:27 p.m.
At that time, the truck convoy had been paralyzing the city center of the federal capital for ten days. A crowdfunding campaign on the GoFundMe platform then enabled the organizers to raise more than 10 million.
“There is no foreign actor identified to date who supports or finances this convoy”, can we read in the report of Mr. Vigneault’s remarks presented in the form of highlights. The document was entered into evidence at the Emergency Measures Commission hearings on Tuesday.
PHOTO CHRIS WATTIE, REUTERS ARCHIVES
CSIS Director David Vigneault
He adds that the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Center of Canada (FINTRAC) and the banks track this money and ensure that it is not used for “non-peaceful” purposes.
“CSIS has not seen foreign money from other states to support [cette hypothèse] “, he added.
A week later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that foreign funds had been used to finance the “freedom convoy”. GoFundMe officials told the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in March that “86% of donors are from Canada.” They had frozen the funds a week after the start of the protest.
The organizers then turned to another crowdfunding platform called GiveSendGo to continue receiving donations. Four days after the City of Ottawa declared a state of emergency, they had managed to rack up a new $8.4 million. A data leak, reported by the CTV network, had subsequently shown that a significant number of these new donations came from the United States.
The account of the words of the big boss of Canadian intelligence also indicates that there was no convoy of trucks from the United States and that it is therefore a “domestic issue”.
He also warned against “radical elements” who could be violent present at the scene of the demonstration without however actively participating or being the organizers. “It is likely that they use it as for recruiting,” said Mr. Vigneault at the time. The names of radical individuals or groups are not mentioned. CSIS estimates that they were not only on Parliament Hill, but also at the demonstrations in Quebec, Toronto and Alberta.