OTTAWA — Crowdfunding site GoFundMe will speak to members of Parliament about what measures it has in place to prevent the funding of extremism.
NDP MP Alistair MacGregor announced today representatives from the site have accepted a request to appear before the House of Commons standing committee on public safety and national security.
Happy to report @gofundme has accepted #SECU Committee request to appear, as per my motion last week.
Representatives will appear on March 3rd, and we look forward to their testimony on internal mechanisms they have in place to prevent crowdfunding of extremism.#cdnpoli
— Alistair MacGregor (@AMacGregor4CML) February 10, 2022
MacGregor brought forward the motion and says they will appear March 3.
It comes as a protest against vaccine mandates and COVID-19 health restrictions drags on well into its second week on Parliament Hill, clogging up surrounding streets.
Donors raised more than $10 million for the protesters through GoFundMe, which announced last week it was pulling the plug on the fundraising campaign, saying the money would be refunded.
To simplify the process for our users, we will be refunding all donations to the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser. This refund will happen automatically—you do not need to submit a request. Donors can expect to see refunds within 7-10 business days.
— GoFundMe (@gofundme) February 5, 2022
The site said it initially believed the demonstration was going to be a peaceful event, but withdrew its support once it realized it had become an “occupation.”
Convoy organizers quickly set up a new campaign on Christian fundraising site GiveSendGo, which has raised US$8.2 million so far.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2022.
The Canadian Press