TD Bank Takes Action Against Freedom Convoy Accounts – Opinion

Toronto-Dominion Bank, TD Bank, has placed two bank accounts in limbo connected to Freedom Convoy. These accounts contained more than $1.1million meant to be used by protesters opposing the vaccination mandates. They were located in Ottawa, as well as at other border crossings.

Source: Reuters

TD applied to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Friday to take the funds, which were sent through GoFundMe and bank transfers, so they can either be sent to the intended recipients or returned to the donors “who have requested refunds but whose entitlement to a refund cannot be determined by TD,” the bank said in a statement.

TD has been put “on notice that their actions are improper and disappointing,” Keith Wilson, a lawyer for the convoy, said in an email on Saturday, adding the convoy will seek a court order next week to release the donations to a new not-for-profit corporation that has been set up to manage and distribute them.

The bank has no shame, when they’re trying to turn over the funds to the government that were already in the bank accounts related to the Freedom Convoy. It’s a question if they can even do that.

GoFundMe removed the Facebook page which had been funding the protesters’ cause on February 4th. They had to apologize and refund all the funds to their donors. This account raised more than $10 million. The Convoy opened a second account at GiveSendGo, which raised even more money.

The Ontario Superior Court ordered GiveSendGo on Thursday to stop receiving funds intended to support the protest. GiveSendGo rejected the order. “We are also going to be taking the Ontario government to court to seek an immediate lifting of what we consider to be an unlawful order,” they said. GiveSendGo has helped the Convoy raise $11 million.

How long have you been running this Freedom Convoy? Three weeks. There was no violence. Until recently, however, banks and governments have not made similar moves against fundraising. That’s especially ironic, since the BLM had no accountability for their funds. This just shows how politically charged all of this is.

But, if they think this is going to stop the Convoy, they’re sadly mistaken.