The Liberals say their freezing of bank accounts of some Freedom Convoy supporters is justified because they are narrow and focused,” says Blacklock’s Reporter..But one Liberal-appointed senator, a former banker, complained the freeze left protesters without legal fees to defend themselves against police charges..“Anyone who is concerned their accounts may have been frozen because of their participation in these illegal blockades and occupation, the way to get your account unfrozen is to stop being part of the blockade and occupation,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters..“Is the government going after any donor including small donors?” asked a reporter..“It’s important for all of us to be very, very careful to get our facts exactly right,” replied Minister Freeland..“The RCMP has given to the financial institutions names of leaders and organizers of the protests and of people whose trucks were part of occupations and blockades. That is the only information, according to the RCMP, that the RCMP has given to financial institutions.”.A total 208 accounts worth $3.8 million have been frozen under an Emergencies Act order, by official estimate..“These measures applied only as of the 15th of February,” said Freeland..However. Attorney General David Lametti on February 17 told CTV News the emergency order would also target donors who gave money to Freedom Convoy organizers through platforms like GoFundMe..“I think if you are a member of a pro-Trump movement who is donating hundreds of thousands of dollars, millions of dollars, to this kind of thing, then you ought to be worried,” said Lametti..Cabinet has not clarified its order..“Regarding the accounts that are frozen, it was an action taken to end the blockades and the occupation,” said Freeland..“It was not a permanent action. We have no intention or right to take people’s money. It was really to end these illegal occupations and blockades.”.Senator Clément Gignac (Que.), a former vice president of the National Bank, described the bank order as “an important precedent and possibly a dangerous one,” adding: “According to my sources the blacklist sent to financial institutions grew from about 15 individuals last Friday to more than 60 and some of these operate commercial businesses..“There seems to be a significant lack of clarity on the parameters used by authorities to come up with this blacklist, and above all a lack of guidelines for financial institutions to unfreeze these accounts,” Gignac told the Senate..Gignac questioned how protesters or trucking companies that joined the Freedom Convoy could be expected to defend themselves against police charges if their accounts were frozen..Demonstrators should have “access to their bank accounts, at least temporarily, while their cases are heard in court,” he said.
