OPP Launch An Investigation After Officers Reportedly Donated To The Freedom Convoy

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has launched an internal investigation after a leaked list reportedly showed that some officers made donations to the Freedom Convoy through the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo.

"The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is aware that members appear to have made donations that have gone toward the unlawful protest in Ottawa," Bill Dickson, an OPP spokesperson, told Narcity.

"The matter has been brought to the attention of OPP Command, and the OPP Professional Standards Unit has launched an internal conduct investigation into this matter," Dickson said.

"We cannot comment or speculate on the outcome of the investigation."

According to the Toronto Star, the list was leaked on February 13 after hackers took over the GiveSendGo website and showed that more than 92,000 donations were made to the "Freedom Convoy 2022" campaign.

The "OPP holds its members accountable for their actions while on duty and off," said Dickson.

On February 7, a state of emergency was declared in Ottawa because of the disruption caused by the Freedom Convoy protests.

The protests were against government-enforced COVID-19 measures, including lockdowns and mandatory vaccination.

Originally, the Freedom Convoy had a GoFundMe page that raised over $10 million, but on February 4, the crowdsourcing website announced that it removed the fundraiser from its site and would return the money back to donors.

GoFundMe said that evidence from law enforcement in Ottawa showed that the demonstration had "become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity."

"Any demonstration or expression of views and opinions that may be interpreted as condoning illegal activity is in direct opposition to the OPP's values and mandate," Dickson said.

"Public trust and confidence is the cornerstone of the OPP."