Awakening the People founder Devlin Gannon is holding a fundraiser in Bearspaw, AB, on August 26 to cover his legal bills for fighting charges he received for reporting on a freedom rally. .“The organization of an in-person event like this is really the only way that I personally would ever want to do any kind of fundraising,” said Gannon in an interview. .“Simply because it’s an experience that you can get more out of than just knowing that you supported a fundraising cause.” .Gannon was taken down and arrested while reporting on a freedom rally at Central Memorial Park in Calgary in 2022. .READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE WATCH: Calgary freedom protester violently arrested at weekend rally speaks out.He was charged with assaulting a police officer, obstruction of a peace officer, and obstruction of an injunction. .“We have video that shows many different angles and points of view of what occurred from start to finish,” he said. .Gannon said he came up with the idea of the Family Farm Festival Fundraiser through a combination of other ones. As an inspiration of the freedom rallies and movement, he said he wanted to bring back this energy. .He said the fundraiser will “give attendees an opportunity, celebrate, and to have a fun time while also benefitting a cause that is essentially fighting for freedom." .Carnival games will be set up, including bottle ring toss, ball knockdown, plate breaking, a football toss through tires, and skee ball. There will be a dunk tank set up where people can drop who they want. .Poutine, Middle Eastern, and bratwurst food trucks will show up. Gannon is exploring more food truck possibilities, including one serving desserts. .He will allow people to camp out overnight on his property, with a pancake breakfast available the next morning..His criminal trial is set to begin on March 18 and is expected to last seven days. His legal fees will cost him at least $57,000, which he is working on fundraising. .He said this cost is insurmountable without people’s help. It is more money than he has ever saved up in his life. .A plea deal offered to him would have seen him plead guilty to assaulting a police officer, receive a lifetime criminal record, and have five years of probation. The Crown attorney said he is looking at a minimum penalty of three years in prison if the case goes to trial. .Gannon said the truth keeps him fighting. He said he is “aware of the lies which they are telling and the lies of which their entire case is built on.” .He remains confident the truth will shine brighter than the lies being spread. In this case, the truth is the videos documenting his arrest. .He expects 150 to 200 people from the freedom movement to show up. Event details are being pushed out through other avenues to those not part of it..Gannon said this is an example the freedom movement can set. .“If we can get this through the court system and prove that I’m innocent, it will really be an example to look at that the police have tried to set that isn’t working,” he said.
