Site refuses to return $9M and will instead distribute it to charities it deems fit as Canadian PM is branded a ‘dictator’
- GoFundMe has canceled the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser for allegedly violating its terms of service
- The crowdfunding platform announced Friday that they will be distributing the remaining funds to ‘credible and established charities chosen by the Freedom Convoy 2022 organizers and verified by GoFundMe’
- The company said convoy donors have until February 19 to request a refund
- The decision comes one day after Canadian leaders called on GoFundMe to detail how it would ensure donations weren’t being used to promote hate
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk slammed the decision and accused GoFundMe of having ‘double standards’ because of its previous support for Black Lives Matter fundraisers
Tesla CEO Elon Musk accused GoFundMe of hypocrisy after the company canceled the Freedom Convoy fundraiser on Friday after it actively supported a campaign for the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest in Seattle.
The crowdfunding platform claimed the convoy fundraiser – which raised $10million Canadian dollars ($8 million USD) in support of truckers protesting against COVID-19 vaccine mandates – violated its terms of service ‘which prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment.’
GoFundMe plans to distribute the remaining $9million of donated funds to ‘credible and established charities’ that were reportedly chosen by the convoy organizers and have been verified by the platform.
‘Double-standard?’ Musk questioned on Twitter Friday night, sharing a screenshot of a tweet the crowdfunding platform published in 2020, amid active riots in Seattle.
The Seattle protesters declared an autonomous zone in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The zone, spanning six city blocks and displaying Black Lives Matter imagery, was established by George Floyd protesters in June 2020 after a tension-filled interactions between demonstrators and police.
GoFundMe also allowed numerous BLM-related fundraisers, some of which still remain active, that strived to raise funds for protective gear and medical supplies for protesters in the Pacific Northwest.
The crowdfunding platform, released a statement Friday evening saying: ‘GoFundMe supports peaceful protests and we believe that was the intention of the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser when it was first created.’
‘We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity.’
The decision to remove the fundraise comes one day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a military response to the protests that have shut down the nation’s capital was ‘not in the cards right now’ and the House of Commons Public Safety and National Security Committee called on GoFundMe to detail how it would ensure donations weren’t being used to promote extremism and hate.
It remains unclear if Trudeau or his government lobbied the crowdsourcing company, which did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.