The president of GoFundMe told members of Parliament on Thursday that according to the crowdfunding platform’s records, the vast majority of the donors to the Freedom Convoy were Canadian.
Speaking before the House of Commons public safety and national security committee, Juan Benitez said 88 per cent of donated funds to the movement originated in Canada and 86 per cent of donors were from Canada.
Benitez said GoFundMe began closely monitoring the convoy’s campaign after it launched on Jan. 14 because of “significant” fundraising activity.
“Our initial analysis concluded that the fundraiser was within our terms of service and could remain active,” he said.
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The Freedom Convoy raised more than $10 million on the site, $1 million of which was released to organizers on Jan. 27. After that point, Benitez said, the company started to notice a “shift in tone” in the public statements from the organizers.
On Feb. 2, GoFundMe suspended the xjmtzywfundraiser, meaning all future donations and withdrawals were frozen.
“From Feb. 2 through Feb. 4 we heard from local authorities that what had begun as a peaceful movement had shifted into something else. They shared reports of violence and threatening behaviour by individuals associated with the movement,” he said.
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A person pumps their fists as they stand on top of a transport truck after arriving on Wellington Street in front of on Parliament Hill as part of a cross-country convoy protesting measures taken by authorities to curb the spread of COVID-19, in Ottawa, on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
