Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday lauded the Canadian “Freedom Convoy” protesting vaccine mandates and reiterated his call for an investigation into crowdfunding platform GoFundMe for canceling fundraising efforts to support the truckers.
The convoy has set up camp in Canada’s capital in protest over a rule requiring Canadian truckers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or quarantine for 14 days when crossing the border with the U.S. The demonstration has spread throughout the country as a show of resistance against COVID-19-related mandates.
“It is powerful to watch,” said Mr. Cruz, Texas Republican. “I think the Canadian truckers are standing up not just for the freedom of Canadians, but for the freedom of Americans.”
Mr. Cruz said that while he is supportive of the vaccine, it should be a matter of personal choice.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has demanded an end to the protests and accused the truckers of undermining democracy.
Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said his officers are “stretched to the limit, but we are 100% committed to using everything we have to end this demonstration.”
Last week GoFundMe suspended the fundraising page to cover the truckers’ fuel, shelter and food, saying the protest violates its code of conduct. The page raised more than $10 million before GoFundMe pulled the plug.
GoFundMe initially said those who donated would have to apply for refunds and any unclaimed funds would be donated to a charity chosen by the Freedom Convoy. The company later announced that it would issue automatic refunds to donors.
The move sparked outrage by some who said GoFundMe was silencing conservative activism and favoring left-wing causes.
Earlier this week, Mr. Cruz sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, a federal agency responsible for consumer protection, requesting a probe of GoFundMe.
“Officials asked big tech to try to defund those truckers,” Mr. Cruz said Wednesday. “And GoFundMe, an American big tech company, proceeded to try to steal $10 million that had been given to support the truckers and give it to their left-wing causes.”
He said it was only after public outcry that the company agreed to issue refunds to donors, rather than redirecting the funds elsewhere.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have also called for an investigation into GoFundMe over the fundraiser for the truckers.
“This BLM-backing company went woke, froze the funds, & failed to deliver Texans’ money,’’ Mr. Paxton tweeted Saturday. “Today I assembled a team to investigate their potential fraud & deception. Texas donors will get Justice!”
• Haris Alic and Tom Howell Jr. contributed to this story.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.