Newly obtained documents through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request have revealed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was involved in censoring online support for the Canadian Freedom Convoy. According to emails from February 2022, the DHS’s Disinformation Governance Board was not only monitoring the convoy but also coordinating with social media platforms to suppress what they identified as “misinformation.”
The Freedom Convoy, which led to the shutdown of crucial border crossings, including the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, started as a protest against vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers but quickly became a larger movement opposing various COVID-19 restrictions. The convoy attracted widespread attention, with millions of dollars raised in donations, prompting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to invoke the Emergencies Act, which resulted in the freezing of bank accounts linked to the protestors.
The protests also played a role in several Canadian provinces easing restrictions, including the controversial vaccine passports. Despite these successes, key leaders of the Freedom Convoy, particularly those involved in the Alberta border protests at Coutts, faced legal scrutiny. Some were charged with plotting to murder police officers, but these charges were ultimately dismissed.
The FOIA revelations bring to light the extent of U.S. government involvement in influencing the narrative around the Freedom Convoy and raise concerns about the broader implications for free speech and government overreach, even in matters involving foreign protests.
