GoFundMe Seizes $10 Million of Trucker Protest Fundraising, Will Give to Charities Instead

GoFundMe says it won’t be giving the C$10 million ($8 million USD) raised to support the truckers protesting COVID-19 mandates to the organizers anymore, saying it will instead work with the organizers to send the funds to “established charities verified by GoFundMe.”

“To ensure GoFundMe remains a trusted platform, we work with local authorities to ensure we have a detailed, factual understanding of events taking place on the ground,” the fundraising platform said in a statement on Feb. 4.

“Following a review of relevant facts and multiple discussions with local law enforcement and city officials, this fundraiser is now in violation of our Terms of Service (Term 8, which prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment) and has been removed from the platform.”

GoFundMe added that it has “evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity.”

John Carpay, president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) which is providing legal representation for the organizers, told The Epoch Times that the linking of protesters to violent or unlawful activity is unfounded.

“I would like to see what evidence there is,” Carpay said. “That’s political spin.”

Carpay said the organizers have maintained that the protests are peaceful.

“It’s a constitutional freedom to protest peacefully,” Carpay said.

He also said that it’s his understanding from people on the ground that people can move freely in Ottawa, and for example in a recent case an emergency vehicle was able to “rapidly race through the streets because the trucks were neatly parked off to the side.”

“They’re not obstructing the daily lives of people in Ottawa, and they’re committed to peace and non-violence,” he said.

The Epoch Times reached out to GoFundMe for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.

GoFundMe had earlier put a freeze in withdrawal of the funds as it undertook a review “to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations.”

Keith Wilson, a lawyer from JCCF representing the organizers, had said earlier at a Feb. 3 press conference that GoFundMe has been “bombarded with an orchestrated social media and other campaigns to try and shut [the fundraiser] down.”

Ottawa police have made a few arrests while the protesters remain in Ottawa. On Feb. 1, the Ottawa Police Service announced that it had charged one man with mischief under $5,000 and another man with carrying a weapon to a meeting. Police charged another man from Quebec while in Ottawa on Feb. 2 in relation to “threats and comments made on social media.” Police say there have been no injuries or riots during the protests.

“I have it on very reliable information that people from the movement were not associated, and that offences related to property damage, and just an assault this morning, committed by agitators were witnessed and reported by a trucker and one of our volunteer security personnel, which was reported to the police and handled by the Ottawa Police Service,” said Daniel Bulford, a former RCMP officer who worked as a sniper to protect the prime minister and is now helping the protest organizers, at the Feb. 3 press conference.

Preliminary data shows there has been a decline in police-reported street crime since the protest began in downtown Ottawa, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

In the week prior to the protest, there were 31 police calls for crimes such as robbery, assault, drug trafficking, public drunkenness, and other crimes in the Ottawa district the protest is set up, but there were only three reports of street crime since the protests began, Blacklock’s Reporter said.

In a Feb. 4 post on Twitter, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson thanked GoFundMe for “listening to the plea made by the City and the Ottawa Police to no longer provide funds to the convoy organizers.”

“I’m hopeful that limiting their access to … funding and resources will restrict their ability to remain in Ottawa,” Watson said.

GoFundMe had earlier allowed withdrawal of C$1 million by the organizers to be used for expenses such as fuel and food for the protesters. The fundraising platform said in its Feb. 4 statement that donors may submit a request for a full refund of their donation until Feb. 19.

The trucker convoy demonstration initially started as a protest against the federal government’s requirement for truck drivers crossing the U.S.-Canada border to have COVID-19 vaccination, but became a large movement as many across Canada opposing various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions joined the protest.

The convoy converged in Ottawa on Jan. 29, and many protesters have remained in the city, parking their trucks and vehicles by Parliament Hill. Sounds of horn honking by protesters can be heard throughout the day.

The protesters say they will remain in the nation’s capital until the government removes COVID-19 mandates.

The organizers have now set up an alternate donation site on GiveSendGo, which they say will ensure the money gets to the protesters. The donation site had raised over $175,000 in just a few hours after its creation.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/gofundme-says-wont-give-10m-to-truck-protest-organizers-will-give-to-charity-instead_4257991.html

 

UK to accuse Russia of working to install pro-Moscow leader in Ukraine – leak

Numerous former Ukrainian politicians have been cooperating with Russian intelligence services, according to London

A Ukrainian flag flies at the top of the parliament in Kiev. © AFP / Sergei Supinsky Sergei Supinsky

An embargoed UK Foreign Office release to media outlets, which has been seen by RT, claims that Britain has exposed a plan by Moscow to install a pro-Russian leader in Kiev as tensions continue to mount over an alleged threat of “invasion” by Moscow.

“We have information that indicates the Russian government is looking to install a pro-Russian leader in [Kiev] as it considers whether to invade and occupy Ukraine,” reads the correspondence, which was sent to media representatives on the Foreign Office’s mailing list on Saturday. No evidence was included to back up the assertions. 

Obviously timed to top the Sunday newspaper agenda, recipients were ordered not to carry the details until after 10.30pm London time the night before.

It even named the man who the Kremlin supposedly considers to be “a potential candidate” to replace Ukraine’s current Western-backed president, Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the Foreign Office, 45-year-old former Ukrainian MP Evgeniy Murayev is the chosen alternative. 

The Foreign Office insists that Russian intelligence agencies have maintained links with “numerous” former Ukrainian politicians, including some top officials from the government of ex-president Viktor Yanukovich, who was deposed as a result of the violent Western-backed Maidan street protests in 2014.A native of Kharkov, Murayev was a member of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, between 2012 and 2019. However, his Opposition Bloc party failed to pass the 5% threshold in the latest parliamentary election, having only managed to win six single-seat constituencies.

Nikolai Azarov, who served as prime minister between 2010 and 2014, two former deputy PMs, and ex-deputy head of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council (RNBO) were also mentioned in the email.

“Some of these have contact with Russian intelligence officers currently involved in the planning for an attack on Ukraine,” it claimed.

However, the Foreign Office didn’t reveal the source of its data or expand on what exactly it believes Moscow has been doing to achieve regime change in Ukraine.

Truss warned that any Russian incursion into its neighbor would be “a massive strategic mistake with severe costs” for the Kremlin. She also reiterated that Britain backs the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and reminded the recipients that it was “an independent, sovereign country.”The letter also cited Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who claimed that “information being released today shines a light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin thinking.”

Russia has repeatedly denied accusations that it’s planning an invasion of Ukraine, which have been made by the US and its allies since November last year, describing the claims as groundless attempts to instill “hysteria.”

According to Moscow, it’s the West that has been stirring tensions in Ukraine by supplying weapons to Kiev – which is embroiled in a "frozen" conflict with self-proclaimed republics in the southeastern Donbass region – and intensifying the NATO buildup in Eastern Europe. The Ukrainian government asserts that the Donbass militias are under Moscow's direct control, a charge the Kremlin rejects. 

https://www.rt.com/russia/546841-uk-truss-ukraine-leader/

 

Russia considers kicking out rowdy foreigners

Non-citizens found guilty of serious violations of Russian law could be booted out if the plan goes ahead

By Layla Guest

FILE PHOTO. © Sputnik / Andrey Stenin

Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs is looking into the possibility of expelling foreigners from the country if they commit gross administrative breaches, the head of the national migration department has revealed.

Speaking as part of an interview with Interfax, published on Thursday, Valentina Kazakova said that the ministry “continues to work on improving the mechanisms of control over the stay of foreign nationals in Russia.”

The official said consideration is underway for revising the rules to introduce the possibility of deporting people that have perpetrated “grave administrative offenses, including violations on public order.”

She also said that the department plans to introduce a single document with an electronic information carrier for overseas citizens, which will help verify their identity.

Kazakova’s remarks come shortly after the introduction of tough new rules for migrants working in the world’s largest country. From December 29, virtually all foreigners living in Russia, even young children, are required to undergo regular rigorous health checks, although there has been speculation that the plans could be reviewed.

Under the new requirements, people living in the country who are not Russian or Belarusian citizens and do not hold permanent or temporary residence permits will have to attend a clinic for blood tests, sexual health screenings, urine analysis and even chest x-rays to prove that they aren’t suffering from communicable diseases or tuberculosis.

 that Responding to reports that foreigners staying in the country for more than 90 days would be subject to the checks every three months, the health ministry in Moscow said workers would not have to repeat the examinations quarterly, and that it was preparing to make clarifications “given the concern that arose from interpreting the law.”foreigners staying in the country for more than 90 days would be subject to the checks every three months, the health ministry in Moscow said workers would not have to repeat the examinations quarterly, and that it was preparing to make clarifications “given the concern that arose from interpreting Tensions have flared between Russians and a new generation of workers from Central Asian former Soviet republics in recent years. On the night of January 1, a brawl between three Uzbek and 10 Kyrgyz citizens erupted in the south-eastern Tekstilshchiki district of Moscow. Interfax reported that three people received serious stab wounds in the fight, which was believed to be over personal hostilities.

In a high-profile incident last summer, more than 100 people were arrested in the Kuzminki area of the Russian capital after a massive fight between two groups, mainly migrants, broke out. Some reports suggested that the scrap had been pre-planned online.

Moscow is home to a large number of foreign laborers from Central Asian countries, such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Russia’s economy relies somewhat on the cheaper workforce from these former Soviet republics, especially in the service and construction sectors. In December 2020, the Ministry of Internal Affairs estimated that almost half of all migrants living in the country had left during the Covid-19 pandemic.

https://www.rt.com/russia/545962-deportation-badly-behaved-foreigners/

Man must pay son-in-law six cows for convincing daughter to divorce

 

Namibia: Man must pay son-in-law six cows for convincing daughter to divorce

News - National | 2022-01-14

by Eliaser Ndeyanale

SIX cows and N$32 000.

This is how much one man was ordered to pay his son-in-law by a traditional court for convincing his daughter to divorce him after 10 years.

Manasse Mutivali, who lives in Ondangwa, says he suffered emotional damage due to this and approached the Zeraeua Community Court at Omaruru for “justice”.

The court ruled in favour of Mutivali and ordered Alfeus Kamara to pay his son-in-law before 7 July 2021.

Kamara has, however, appealed. The price was allegedly calculated based on the market price of cattle as of 4 March 2020.

According to court documents, a ruling was made in accordance with the Traditional Court Act 16, 4 (2). Mutivali (57) married Martha Mutivali (32) in 2013 in a traditional court at Omaruru. He had paid N$10 000 and an ox for her bride price.

Mutivali said Kamara told a community court in March last year that he was going to end their marriage.

Mutivali said because Kamara and his daughter have not made the payment, the clerk of the Zeraeua Community Court should have issued a warrant of arrest against them. Contacted for comment, Kamara said he did not want to comment, only confirming that he appealed.

ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE

Kamara's daughter, Martha, told The Namibian that her father ended their marriage because Mutivali was abusive.

She also said they could not pay the money because they appealed.

“When I stayed with him at Ondangwa, he [Mutivali] would throw me out of the house at night. He also used to make death threats against me,” she said.

The woman said there was a time Mutivali scalded her with hot water and raped her while she was sleeping.

“I did not report this to the police because I felt pity for him,” she said.

She said when the court fined her and her father, it did not consider the abuse she was subjected to.

“Before the divorce, we already had a lot of problems in the marriage – we went to the police and physiologists. It's not about my father; he [Mutivali] just wants to drag my parents into everything. When he chased me out of the house, where was I supposed to go if not to my parents' house?” she asked.

She said there was a time Kamara drove from Erongo to Ondangwa to talk to Mutivali, but he allegedly refused to talk to his father-in-law.

“After what my father saw and everything happening in the marriage, he [my father] decided to end the marriage because he was afraid Manasse might kill me.

“I have statements to the police that he was chasing me out in the night,” she said.

She said following their divorce, Mutivali said he would not support their two children because they were not his.

Mutivali, however, denied that he abused her.

Zeraeua Community Court clerk Rukee Haakuria said the appeal brought by Kamara and his daughter is being processed and would be sent to the Omaruru Magistrate's Court for a decision.

He added that if the magistrate court refuses to hear the appeal, a writ of execution will be granted and the family's property would be auctioned to generate money to pay Mutivali.

He added that if the family does not have any valuable property, the case would be closed.

EDUCATION NEEDED ON TRADITIONAL COURTS

Former ombudsman John Walters said if the messenger of the court issues a writ of execution against the respondent's movable property, that property would be auctioned. However, if the respondent does not have any property, then the person who drags them to court will get nothing.

He said people should be educated about the proceedings of the traditional, community and magistrate's courts because if they sue and the respondent has no valuable property, the applicant will not get anything to recover their loss.

Language and culture lecturer at the University of Namibia, associate professor Jekura Kavari, said parents should not break up their children's marriages.

“That is against culture. Culturally, it is the couple that was supposed to take that decision. If the husband decides that he does not want his wife anymore, he pays six herd of cattle to the wife's family,” he said.

https://www.namibian.com.na/109058/read/Man-must-pay-son-in-law-six-cows--for-convincing-daughter-to-divorce

 

Snowstorm strands 61 in pub in Yorkshire, England, for third night, ‘plenty of beer available’

The snowstorm made driving on roads in the area unsafe

The last thing guests at one pub in Yorkshire, England, will need is a cold one.

A strong snowstorm stranded about 61 people on hand for a concert Friday night and there's a good chance they will not be able to leave until Monday--at the earliest. 

The guests were hunkered down at the Tan Hill Inn after attending the Friday concert by an Oasis tribute band called Noasis. 

"I’m quite chilled about being stranded, it’s quite exciting, but we’re missing our son who is with his nana," Stephanie Overton, one of the guests, told the BBC. "I am wondering how long we will be here for though."

The report said the storm dumped about three feet of snow in the Yorkshire Dales, which is about 1,732 feet above sea level. Besides the snow, fallen power cables have created a dangerous situation outside. The guests are all getting along, and the report said managers set up sleeping quarters in the pub’s lounge.

The New York Times reported that a man at the pub was evacuated by a local rescue group because of a previous medical condition. The guests have been passing the time by singing karaoke and watching movies like "Grease," the report said.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/snowstorm-strands-61-in-pub-for-third-night-plenty-of-beer-available

 

UK Bureaucrats Ban Word ‘Christmas’ for Fear It Will Offend Minorities

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/11/28/uk-bureaucrats-ban-word-christmas-for-fear-it-will-offend-minorities/

2,480

Hollie Adams/Getty Images

PETER CADDLE

28 Nov 2021

2:44

UK Civil servants have axed the word ‘Christmas’ from a proposed government campaign, for fear the term will offend minorities.

British civil servants have apparently embraced their inner Scrooge, vetoing the use of the word ‘Christmas’ from being used in a coronavirus testing drive aimed at students, arguing that the use of the term runs the risk of offending minorities within the country.

The campaign, which reportedly would have revolved around ministers using the slogan “Don’t take COVID home for Christmas,” is part of a larger government effort to limit the spread of the Chinese coronavirus after two cases of the Omicron variant were discovered on-shore.

‘We have been advised by Cabinet Office that we should not use the word Christmas – as the Government campaign needs to be inclusive and some religions don’t celebrate Christmas,” an email seen by The Mail on Sunday read. “The other option was ‘festive season’ which keeps the emotional motivation.”

“We have gone with ‘Don’t take COVID-19 home for the holidays’ – as it links to school and university Christmas holidays,” the email continued. “The alliteration with ‘home’ and ‘holidays’ scans well and is memorable.”

Despite the politically correct alliteration, this suggestion was also shot down in a follow-up email sent by a different British bureaucrat.

“We don’t refer to Christmas as the holidays (that’s an Americanism),” the email read. “Please can we say, ‘Don’t take Covid-19 home’.”

Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti lambasted the decision to remove the mention of Christmas from the campaign.

“As a Muslim, I find it ridiculous we can’t enjoy this special time of year. I look forward to showing my new son his first Christmas tree. The idea you can’t mention Christmas is completely ridiculous,” Bhatti said.

“It’s a time to celebrate, whatever your background. It’s part of the British culture I love. It’s the celebration of all cultures that makes this the most welcoming country in the world.

“I’m proud of that and proud to celebrate Christmas. The Blob needs to stop waging war on Christmas and get on with delivering for the British people,” Bhatti concluded.

The British government is not unique in waging a woke war on Christmas traditions this year, with a short film produced by the Norwegian postal service seeing Santa fall in love with another man.

The advert — which British left-wing newspaper The Guardian has called “heartwarming” — follows St Nick and his new love interest, Harry, who at one point tells Santa: “All I want for Christmas is you.”

The film ends with the pair passionately embracing with a kiss.

Photos: 'Bow and Arrow' Attack in Norway Kills At Least Five People, Two Others Left Injured

 

'Bow and Arrow' Attack in Norway Kills At Least Five People, Two Others Left Injured: appears to be 'act of terror'.

A major police operation unfolded in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg after a "bow and arrow" incident took place on Wednesday that local police described as serious.

Local authorities have indicated that the deadly incident killed five individuals and injured two others. The NRK broadcaster has reported that a police officer is among the injured.

The bow and arrow incident in Norway’s Kongsberg appears to be an act of terrorism, the country’s security services have reported. The attack by a suspected Islamist claimed five lives and left two people injured.

Further investigation into the details of the attack and the motives behind it is still required, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) said in a statement. The domestic security service pledged its support to the police force in the investigation and said it still considered the terrorist threat in Norway to be “moderate”.

ALSO ON RT.COMNorway bow-and-arrow attacker who killed 5 had converted to Islam; police had prior concerns over signs of radicalization

The PST is looking to prevent follow-up attacks by copycats or possible revenge violence, the statement said.

Wednesday’s bow-and-arrow attack in the southwestern Norwegian municipality was carried out by a 37-year-old Danish citizen, the police said earlier. He was arrested following the spree of violence.

Regional Police Chief Ole Bredrup Saeverud said there were signs that the unidentified perpetrator had been radicalized. He converted to Islam sometime before the attack. Investigators believe he was acting alone.

Earlier on Thursday, Norwegian media reported that another suspicious person armed with a bow and arrows was spotted in Oslo, but the city police assured the public that the archer posed no threat.

The attacker apparently targeted random people in the small town of 26,000. He shot arrows at victims inside a local supermarket and in the streets, killing five and injuring two. All the victims were aged between 50 and 70, the police chief said. One of the injured was an off-duty law enforcement officer.

According to Laagendalsposten, a regional newspaper, the Norwegian Elite Police Unit, also called Delta, military forces and a large number of police cars and ambulances are in place in Kongsberg.

https://sputniknews.com/20211013/several-people-killed-in-bow-and-arrow-attack-in-norway-1089901344.html

https://www.rt.com/news/537456-norway-bow-arrow-attack-terror/

 

More Than Half of Jewish Israelis Favour Military Attack on Iran to Stop Nuclear Programme

17 minutes ago

Israel has been suspected in the past of attacking Iranian nuclear sites - however, using more unconventional means than a missile or a bomb. According to several cybersecurity companies, the country released a so-called Stuxnet virus that damaged nuclear enrichment centrifuges in Iran. Tel Aviv has never confirmed these reports.

More than half of Jewish Israelis believe that Tel Aviv should have launched a military attack against Iran when the Islamic Republic was in the "early stages" of developing its nuclear programme rather than finding a diplomatic solution, the Israel Democracy Institute reported citing results of a recent opinion poll. About 51 percent of Jewish Israelis supported a military hardline approach, whereas only 15 percent of Arab Israelis favoured it.

At the same time, only 23.5 percent of the Jewish respondents and 46 percent of Arab interviewees supported a diplomatic approach to resolve a conflict between Tehran and Tel Aviv over the Iranian nuclear programme. A important portion of respondents in a poll, which has a maximum error margin of around 3.6 percent, said they did not know which option was better: some 25.5 percent of Jewish respondents and 39 percent of Arab interviewees in Israel struggled to choose between the two.

Gantz: Israel Could Accept Return to JCPOA if US Has ‘Plan B’ for Iran’s Nuclear Program

17 September, 23:37 GMT

The poll comes as the new Israeli government continues its policy of strongly opposing Iran's nuclear programme, citing the same fears as the government of Benjamin Netanyahu – that Tehran will acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran has been gradually increasing its uranium enrichment levels since 2019 far exceeding the 3 percent level which was the ceiling established under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015 (also known as JCPOA or Iran nuclear deal).

The Islamic Republic gradually backtracked on its commitments under the nuclear agreement after the US withdrew from it completely and slapped Tehran with hefty sanctions. Iran noted that it was ready to return to compliance, if the US dropped sanctions and returned to the agreement. The new Biden administration expressed interest in such a move, but so far the two countries haven't been able to agree terms of returning to the JCPOA.

https://sputniknews.com/20211011/more-than-half-of-jewish-israelis-favour-military-attack-on-iran-to-stop-nuclear-programme-1089841263.html

 

‘Oi, you lot!’ UK’s flag carrier to get rid of ‘ladies and gentlemen’ greeting for the sake of diversity

10 Oct, 2021 02:55 

FILE PHOTO: British Airways Airbus A319 aircraft takes off from Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, May 17, 2021. © REUTERS/John Sibley

British Airways has instructed its pilots to no longer address passengers as ladies and gentlemen, keeping the greetings gender-neutral instead. The change in policy has been touted as a nod to “inclusion and diversity.”

The UK’s flag carrier has become the latest airline to replace the traditional greeting with a gender-neutral alternative, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The change in policy has been made to avoid discriminating against the passengers who do not fall under either of the two categories, such as children, as well as “to respect new social norms,” the newspaper reported.

The BA spokesperson has appeared to confirm the move towards “woke speak,” noting the company’s commitment to “inclusion and diversity.” “We're committed to ensuring that all our customers feel welcome when travelling with us,” the BA spokesperson said.

The announcement did not go down well with conservative-leaning commentators. Some went as far as to declare the carrier’s decision to dump the phrase, long seen as a standard and polite form of address, an “attack” on the British national character.

“It’s an attack on everything we are,” Laurence Fox, actor and leader of UK’s Reclaim party, tweeted. Lockdown sceptic and Brexit supporter Fox ran in the London mayoral elections earlier this year, receiving less than 2% of the popular vote.

"When will this ridiculousness end?" another conservative Brexit supporter tweeted, while yet another blasted the British flag carrier for turning into “Woke Airways.” 

While passengers boarding a British Airways flight will no longer hear “ladies and gentlemen,” it’s unclear how the air travellers will be addressed going forward, with The Telegraph reporting that “BA has traditionally encouraged its pilots to bring their own personalities into onboard announcements.” 

Quick-witted netizens wasted no time in coming up with more or less appropriate greetings of their own. 

A self-professed “transport enthusiast” suggested eschewing courtesies and just call those boarding the plane “passengers, nothing more, nothing less.”

“We are paying for our passage. Irrespective of what cabin we are sitting in. 'We would like to welcome passengers aboard this…'“ very simple, nobody needs to get upset,” the user tweeted.

Other suggestions included seemingly all-encompassing “human and non-human space occupiers” as well as down-to-earth (no pun intended) “fly buddies,” and "Hello, All." 

One commenter argued that since the traditional polite greeting is no longer in vogue, one with a tinge of familiarity might be the best option. ‘Oi, you lot’ sounds so much better,” they tweeted.

https://www.rt.com/uk/537086-british-airways-neutral-greeting/