RCMP working to release frozen bank accounts of Ottawa protesters

Individuals who took part in the blockades at the border and in Ottawa could soon see their bank accounts “unfrozen” after the Emergencies Act allowed officials to stop funds supporting the demonstrations.

The federal government says the RCMP are working with financial institutions to release the frozen bank accounts of some involved in the occupation in Ottawa.

Isabelle Jacques, an assistant deputy minister at the federal Department of Finance, says the RCMP shared a list on Monday identifying individuals who they say should have their accounts reopened.

Over 200 accounts were frozen in an effort to choke off the flow of cash used to buy supplies for demonstrators. Jacques says some accounts may remain frozen if they are under court orders to suspend assets and seize trucks.

The move to cut off bank accounts has received criticism from some Conservative MPs. MP Philip Lawrence says “Canadians are afraid” that even a small donation to the convoy could ruin them financially.

Jacques says if a donation happened after Feb. 15, the day the Emergencies Act took effect, it is possible but unlikely a small donation would lead to a frozen account.

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The measures under the Emergencies Act allows for the suspension of the bank accounts of organizers, participants in the demonstrations, and those who donated to the efforts. Powers under the act remain in effect and our now being debated in the Senate after passing a House of Commons vote on Monday evening.

The motion passed with support from the Liberal and NDP while Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois MPs voted against it. Trudeau says his government has no intentions of keeping the act in place a day longer than they deem necessary.

Protesters were initially raising funds on GoFundMe, but the crowdfunding website ultimately decided to remove the donations page and began offering full refunds after the more than $10 million raised helped support what they described as “violence and other unlawful activity.”

Organizers then turned to GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding platform, where it raised more than $US 8.4 million before an Ontario court froze access to the funds at the provincial government’s request.

On Tuesday, an Ontario court judge denied bail for Tamara Lich, one of the leading figures of the protests and an organizer of the GoFundMe page. Ontario Court Justice Julie Bourgeois said Tuesday she believes Lich would re-offend if she is released and that her continued detention is necessary for public safety.

A decision on bail for fellow protest leader Pat King will be delivered on Friday. Just ahead of the lunch break for his bail hearing on Tuesday, a lawyer behind a class-action lawsuit against the convoy organizers officially served King with a legal notice.

The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit against the so-called “Freedom Convoy” says residents and businesses near the protests were subject to incessant noise and harassment for weeks.

“We were tortured by sound for days, we were harassed in our streets, we were honked at in the streets,” says Zexi Li. “The end of the day, these participants are all adults. They knowingly made these decisions, we gave them ample opportunity to leave and mitigate these consequences and they chose not to take those offers.”

The lawsuit is seeking more than $300 million in damages for noise and major disruption to the lives of residents and business owners inside or near the occupation zone.

With files from the Canadian Press