US citizens protesting Covid-19 restrictions in Canada labelled as occupiers

A former US ambassador to Canada has said groups in the US need to cease interfering in what has been labelled an occupation in Canada’s capital.

It comes as protesters opposed to vaccine mandates and Covid-19 restrictions held rallies in cities across the country in a show of solidarity with a week-long demonstration in Ottawa.

“Under no circumstances should any group in the USA fund disruptive activities in Canada. Period. Full stop,” Bruce Heyman, a former US ambassador under President Barack Obama tweeted.

After crowdfunding site GoFundMe said it would refund or redirect to charities the vast majority of millions raised by demonstrators protesting Covid-19 measures in the Canadian capital prominent US Republicans like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis complained.

“It is a fraud for @gofundme to commandeer $9M in donations sent to support truckers and give it to causes of their own choosing,” DeSantis tweeted.

He added he would investigate these practices and donors should be given a refund. But GoFundMe had already changed its mind and said it would be issuing refunds to all.

GoFundMe said it cut off funding for the organisers because it had determined the effort violated the site’s terms of service due to unlawful activity.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the protests an occupation.