Elon Musk, Ron DeSantis Slam GoFundMe For Cutting Ties With Freedom Convoy
Tesla founder Elon Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have gone to bat for the thousands of Canadian truckers protesting the country's vaccine mandates, railing GoFundMe for cutting ties with "Freedom Convoy."
The fundraising company blocked the release of nearly $10 million in donations, citing “the promotion of violence and harassment" taking place during the protest. Musk took to Twitter to call out GoFundMe for its hypocrisy.
Musk then posted a screenshot of GoFundMe supporting the Seattle based Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) in June 2020, calling it a double standard. During the duration of the protest, four shootings in a span of 10 days took place within the boundaries of the free-protest zone, per The New York Times.
DeSantis voiced his frustration towards GoFundMe on Twitter, calling the company a fraud.
The truckers originally arrived in Canada's capital on Jan. 29. Many honked loudly and wielded Canadian flags and "F*** Trudeau" banners. In a statement obtained by the New York Post, GoFundMe said the group's once peaceful protest has now become unlawful.
“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 statement reads.
GoFundMe said Saturday that they would be starting the refunding process in the coming days.
"The update we issued earlier enabled all donors to get a refund and outlined a plan to distribute remaining funds to verified charities selected by the Freedom Convoy organizers," GoFundMe wrote. "However, due to donor feedback, we are simplifying the process for you. We will automatically refund your contributions directly - you do not need to submit a request. You can expect to see your refund within 7 - 10 business days."
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