As reported by Canadian news outlet The Globe and Mail, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canada’s federal police force) sent letters to several cryptocurrency exchanges demanding that they “cease facilitating any transactions” with more than 30 specific cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to the ongoing truck protests in the country. The letter writes:
“Any information about a transaction or proposed transaction in respect of these addresses, is to be disclosed immediately to the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.”
Just two days prior, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, representing the ruling Liberal Party of Canada, invoked the Emergencies Act in response to a convoy of truckers occupying the nation’s capital (Ottawa) in protest of COVID-19 health and vaccine restrictions. The protest has been ongoing for 20 days. Under the Act, banks have the discretional power to freeze Freedom Convoy protesters’ bank accounts with no civil liabilities.
Protesters have raised over $19 million in funds through the fundraising platforms GoFundMe and GiveSendGo. However, those funds have been blocked from reaching the convoy. As a result, protestors founded the HonkHonk Hodl group and raised nearly $1 million through the Tallycoin BTC fundraising platform, pending distribution.
This morning, it appears protestors in the Ottawa downtown area were given an ultimatum, via written letters, to “leave now” or face potential fines or jail time. In addition, the Emergencies Act allows for the prohibition of travel to certain areas. “Anyone coming to Ottawa to join the ongoing demonstration is breaking the law,” the notice says.