In a decision presented by the court yesterday, a federal judge in Canada ruled against the government’s use of emergency powers to freeze assets. The assets included cryptocurrencies and other digital assets during the early 2022 trucker’s protests.
Justice Richard Mosley of the Federal Court of Canada stated that there was no national emergency justifying the application of the Emergencies Act. He deemed the decision unreasonable and unconstitutional and said it should only be used when other alternatives were unavailable.
Canada invokes Emergencies Act targeting crowdfunding and crypto
The Emergencies Act was invoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government in February 2022 to freeze funds. The freeze was applied to assets, including crypto donated to truckers protesting COVID-19 restrictions.
The protesters whose group went by the Freedom Convoy, had utilized trucks to block streets in the city of Ottowa, protesting against vaccine mandates for truck drivers crossing the Canada-United States border.
The government argued that the Emergencies Act was necessary due to the protests being considered an illegal occupation. However, the recent court ruling challenged the invocation of the act, stating that such an act should only be used as a tool of last resort when all other ways are unavailable.
Various groups like the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and the Canadian Constitution Foundation disliked the government’s use of the emergency law. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland also announced that the government plans to appeal the decision.
Conclusion:
The trucker protests in 2022 saw a huge role played by cryptocurrency for its support. Millions of dollars were estimated to have been received by the protesters through famous platforms, though the exact amount remains unclear.
During the protests, GoFundMe, a well-known funding organization, froze over $9 million in donations. This move prompted the organizers to shift their funding to Tallycoin, another crowdfunding platform built on the Bitcoin blockchain. The HonkHonk Hodl group raised over 22 Bitcoins, valued at around $Million.
The court’s decision emphasizes the ill use of emergency powers and the power of cryptocurrencies in high-profile social movements.
