The Department of Justice yesterday acknowledged Russia had no involvement in the Freedom Convoy. False claims of large amounts of foreign funding and disinformation by Russian agents were not supported by any proof, government lawyers wrote the Public Order Emergency Commission..“There was no evidence foreign state actors or foreign governments were conducting any disinformation campaign against Canada in relation to the convoy,” federal lawyers wrote in Closing Submissions to the Commission, according to Blacklock's Reporter..“Multiple messages in support of the Freedom Convoy emanated from individuals believed to be located outside Canada,” wrote lawyers. “Certain sectors of the American political sphere amplified elements of the convoy emergency.”.Cabinet had repeatedly pointed to foreign involvement as justification for invoking the Emergencies Act against Parliament Hill protesters. “CBC reported I believe on the 14th of February or the 13th of February that there was foreign funding,” Attorney General David Lametti testified April 26 at the Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency..Incorrect CBC News accounts included a January 28 broadcast claiming “Russian actors could be continuing to fuel things.” The story was subsequently corrected..Lawyers’ final briefs on emergency powers were released yesterday by the Public Order Emergency Commission. Several intervenors focused on a bank freeze targeting Freedom Convoy sympathizes..“The scope of these provisions were overly broad and unclear,” said the Government of Alberta submission. “In the result, joint accounts held by a Freedom Convoy protester and another person who was not present at the protests were frozen.”.“Money that families use to buy groceries, pay their rent and pay child support was cut off,” wrote the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “Notwithstanding the government’s intentions, the impact of freezing the accounts spread beyond those participating in the blockades.”.Lawyers for the Government of Saskatchewan said use of the Emergencies Act was unnecessary. “The issue is not whether additional tools would be helpful to the police in dealing with the protesters,” read the Saskatchewan submission. “The issue is whether the situation can be dealt with effectively under existing laws. In this case there is no question the protests could have been, and in fact were in many parts of the country, effectively dealt with under existing laws.”.The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms and Democracy Fund challenged cabinet’s justification for emergency powers. Cabinet said the convoy represented a threat of “serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political, religious or ideological objective” within Canada..“The protests were clearly and overwhelmingly non-violent,” wrote Justice Centre counsel. “Protest organizers and the vast majority of those in attendance loudly and genuinely encouraged peaceful and nonviolent behaviour. Protest organizers took extraordinary steps to prevent violence and to report any violent incidents or rhetoric to the police.”.The inquiry must submit its final report to cabinet by February 6. Findings must be subsequently tabled in Parliament by February 20.
The Department of Justice yesterday acknowledged Russia had no involvement in the Freedom Convoy. False claims of large amounts of foreign funding and disinformation by Russian agents were not supported by any proof, government lawyers wrote the Public Order Emergency Commission..“There was no evidence foreign state actors or foreign governments were conducting any disinformation campaign against Canada in relation to the convoy,” federal lawyers wrote in Closing Submissions to the Commission, according to Blacklock's Reporter..“Multiple messages in support of the Freedom Convoy emanated from individuals believed to be located outside Canada,” wrote lawyers. “Certain sectors of the American political sphere amplified elements of the convoy emergency.”.Cabinet had repeatedly pointed to foreign involvement as justification for invoking the Emergencies Act against Parliament Hill protesters. “CBC reported I believe on the 14th of February or the 13th of February that there was foreign funding,” Attorney General David Lametti testified April 26 at the Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency..Incorrect CBC News accounts included a January 28 broadcast claiming “Russian actors could be continuing to fuel things.” The story was subsequently corrected..Lawyers’ final briefs on emergency powers were released yesterday by the Public Order Emergency Commission. Several intervenors focused on a bank freeze targeting Freedom Convoy sympathizes..“The scope of these provisions were overly broad and unclear,” said the Government of Alberta submission. “In the result, joint accounts held by a Freedom Convoy protester and another person who was not present at the protests were frozen.”.“Money that families use to buy groceries, pay their rent and pay child support was cut off,” wrote the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “Notwithstanding the government’s intentions, the impact of freezing the accounts spread beyond those participating in the blockades.”.Lawyers for the Government of Saskatchewan said use of the Emergencies Act was unnecessary. “The issue is not whether additional tools would be helpful to the police in dealing with the protesters,” read the Saskatchewan submission. “The issue is whether the situation can be dealt with effectively under existing laws. In this case there is no question the protests could have been, and in fact were in many parts of the country, effectively dealt with under existing laws.”.The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms and Democracy Fund challenged cabinet’s justification for emergency powers. Cabinet said the convoy represented a threat of “serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political, religious or ideological objective” within Canada..“The protests were clearly and overwhelmingly non-violent,” wrote Justice Centre counsel. “Protest organizers and the vast majority of those in attendance loudly and genuinely encouraged peaceful and nonviolent behaviour. Protest organizers took extraordinary steps to prevent violence and to report any violent incidents or rhetoric to the police.”.The inquiry must submit its final report to cabinet by February 6. Findings must be subsequently tabled in Parliament by February 20.
