A peaceful Freedom Convoy protestor convicted over the 2022 Ottawa demonstrations is appealing a court ruling that refused to consider the freezing of his bank accounts under the Emergencies Act as a violation of his Charter rights.The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms says Evan Blackman has filed an appeal with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice after a trial judge declined to hear his argument that the federal government’s use of emergency financial measures should have resulted in a stay of proceedings in his criminal case.Blackman was arrested during the February 18, 2022 police crackdown in downtown Ottawa, four days after Ottawa invoked the Emergencies Act {War Measures Act] for the first time in Canadian history. He was charged with mischief and obstructing police after standing with other protestors on Rideau Street during what his lawyers describe as peaceful demonstrations.In 2023, Blackman was acquitted of all charges and was described as a “peacemaker” by the trial judge. .That decision was later appealed by the Ottawa Crown Attorney’s Office, leading to a retrial. On November 21, 2025, the Ontario Court of Justice convicted Blackman of mischief and obstructing police, characterizing the Freedom Convoy as a collective “occupation” of downtown Ottawa and finding that he was a party to what the court described as mass mischief.Blackman received a conditional discharge with 12 months of probation, 122 hours of community service, and a $200 victim fine surcharge.During the retrial, Blackman applied for a stay of proceedings under section 24(1) of the Charter, arguing that the freezing of three of his personal bank accounts under the Emergency Economic Measures Order amounted to unconstitutional state punishment. The court dismissed the application, ruling that the bank freezes were legally unrelated to his arrest or prosecution and concluding that Blackman therefore lacked standing to seek a stay..That finding contrasts with a separate Federal Court ruling that concluded the federal government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act was unreasonable and violated the Charter rights of Canadians, including individuals targeted by the financial measures imposed on Freedom Convoy protestors.Constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury said the appeal raises broader concerns about civil liberties in Canada.“This case raises serious questions about how peaceful protest is treated in Canada and about the lasting consequences of the federal government’s unlawful use of the Emergencies Act,” Fleury said. “The freezing of protestors’ bank accounts was part of a coordinated effort to suppress dissent, and courts ought to be willing to scrutinize that conduct.”A hearing date for the appeal has not yet been scheduled.
