(Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
People who wish to donate money to a cause they deem worthy might now have to make sure their political beliefs are in line with the middle-man first. Popular online crowdfunding service GoFundMe recently came under fire after it announced it would not be giving the truckers protesting in Canada the $10 million that had been donated by people who wished to support them.
The funds had been raised for Freedom Convoy, which is a protest started by truckers against Canada’s strict vaccine mandates. Those participating in the demonstration are calling for the repeal of public health measures related to vaccines and masks. The protesters have been deemed unworthy of the donations by GoFundMe, whose dubious justification appeared in a statement from the website: “We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity.”
The New York Post reported that the site had “cut ties with a convoy of Canadian truckers that had descended on their nation’s capital,” blocking the money “in connection with ‘the promotion of violence and harassment’ in Ottawa.”
(Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The group consists of thousands of truckers and pedestrian protesters, who on Jan. 29 began blocking roads outside government buildings, honking loudly, and displaying flags and signs which read, “f—k [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau.” However, Fox News noted there were only a few instances of violence.
The company initially gave donors two weeks to request a refund. After that deadline, the organization would give the money to “credible and established charities” chosen by the organizers of the Freedom Convoy. Later in the day, GoFundMe reversed course, announcing that it would automatically refund the $10 million in donations. The move came after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared he would “investigate” the company, alleging that it could be guilty of fraud.
Even though the company reversed course on its original plan, the fact remains that it will not allow its users to financially support the protest. This is not the first time it has shut down online giving campaigns seemingly for political purposes. The site also blocked donations to Kyle Rittenhouse’s legal fund as he battled allegations of murder related to an incident in which he used an AR-15 rifle to defend himself against Black Lives Matter rioters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Oddly enough, the crowdfunding company had no qualms about allowing users to donate to funds intended to bail out people who participated in the George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020. One campaign was titled “CHARGED WITH BANK ROBBERY DURING GEORGE FLOYD RIOT,” and another, “Fundraiser for Tuscon Arrestees,” which sought donations for 12 people facing felony riot charges. There are several other campaigns raising money for similar purposes.
It isn’t hard to tell what is happening here, is it?
GoFundMe, like so many other companies, appears to be seeking approval from the far left, which is quite fond of those who destroy neighborhoods and has never seen a vaccine mandate that didn’t make members’ hearts sing. Perhaps GoFundMe believes its apparent bias will keep it out of the crosshairs of the Cancel Culture community and in the good graces of the Sanhedrin of Woke.
Fortunately for the Freedom Convoy, GoFundMe is not the only crowdsourcing company in the world. GiveSendGo, a Christian organization, announced that it would host the demonstration’s donations. It appears that now the crowdfunding industry is on its way to becoming fully politicized. Is there any commercial or charitable activity left that can avoid becoming a political weapon?
~ Read more from Jeff Charles.
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