Wielding new powers granted him by invoking the Emergencies Act, Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau is waging economic warfare on truckers engaging in peaceful protests in Canada’s capital, Ottawa.
Canadian grassroots independent media outlet, The Counter Signal, has come into possession of an order sent by Trudeau’s federal police force which demands all FINTRAC regulated companies in Canada cease transacting with 34 cryptocurrency wallets, a potential source of funding for the ongoing protests.
FINTRAC, or the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, was established in 2000 by the Canadian government under the Proceeds of Crime Act to facilitate detection and investigation of money laundering. The Centre’s mandate was expanded in late 2001 to include disclosure provisions with respect to suspected terrorist financing.
Reportedly, the cryptocurrency wallets targeted contain cryptocurrencies valued at upwards of C$1.4 million dollars.
The Counter Signal has confirmed that one of the wallets contains over $1 million worth of Bitcoin and is part of the “HonkHonkHodl” campaign to support the truckers.
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The order sent to Trudeau’s federal police states, “Any information about a transaction or proposed transaction in respect of these address(es), is to be disclosed immediately to the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, at [email protected].”
“While the police are eager to freeze any funds related to the Freedom Convoy, in all likelihood this digital cash is far beyond the reach of the Government of Canada,” The Counter Signal reported.
Traditional bank accounts are also being targeted by the Canadian Government. Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, said at a press conference on Feb. 15, “This is about following the money. This is about stopping the financing of these illegal blockades,” adding that, “We are today serving notice, if your truck is being used in these illegal blockades, your corporate accounts will be frozen. The insurance on your vehicle will be suspended.”
Blockades at all major border-crossings across the country have all but dispersed; however, it appears as though the Trudeau government is treating the hundreds of trucks that have inundated Ottawa’s parliament district as a blockade.
Economic pressure appears to be the primary tool at the Canadian government’s disposal to address the ongoing protests; law enforcement authorities appear ill-equipped to manage the protests, and companies under contract with the Canadian government refuse to render services to remove the trucks.
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) issued a notice to the protesters on Feb. 16 telling protesters “You must leave now,” and that, “Anyone blocking streets, or assisting others in the blocking streets, are committing a criminal offence and you may be arrested.”
Live streams of the protest area show that entire lanes of traffic have been cleared by the protesters to allow both civil and emergency use.
Anyone participating in the protests or who ventures into the area where the protesters occupy faces the threat of arrest.
“The Federal Emergencies Act allows for the regulation and prohibition of travel to, from or within any specified area. This means that anyone coming to Ottawa for the purpose of joining the ongoing demonstration is breaking the law,” the notice says.
Meanwhile, after fighting off an intense cyber attack over the past weekend, Christian crowdfunding platform, GiveSendGo, is again operational and donations to the “Freedom Convoy 2022” campaign continue to flow in. Currently the campaign has raised close to $9.5-million.
