TL;DR Breakdown
- Almost 5000 Bitcoiners donate $1 million to Canadian truckers.
- The Canadian truckers are fighting for their livelihoods and the future of their country.
- The Bitcoin community can help Canadian truck drivers by making financial donations.
Earlier this month, a group of 5000 Bitcoiners banded together to donate over $1 million to Canadian truckers, and the campaign received all Bitcoin in a crypto wallet.
Kindness was the response to the recent blockade of Canada’s highways by protesting truckers which resulted in massive delays and disruptions throughout the country. Due to the protests, many Canadians have been left stranded without food or supplies. The Bitcoin community felt it was important to step up and help out their fellow citizens. Thanks to the generosity of the Bitcoin community, they can all rest a little easier knowing that help is on the way.
Root of the Canadian truckers protest
Truckers are protesting a rule on 15th January requiring those entering Canada to be fully vaccinated. According to media reports, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown no sign of easing the country’s restrictions.
François Laporte, president of Teamsters Canada, representing over 55,000 professional drivers, including 15,000 long-haul truck drivers, condemned the protests, saying they do not represent 90% of vaccinated drivers.
Starting as a “Freedom Convoy” occupying downtown Ottawa opposing a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border truckers mirrored by the U.S. government, protesters have also aired grievances about a carbon tax and other legislation. Protesters have said they will not leave until all vaccine mandates and Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
The blockade is now entering its sixth day on the Ambassador Bridge, accounting for a quarter of goods traded between the U.S. and Canada. General Motors, Ford Motor, Toyota Motor, and Stellantis have been forced to cut production at several plants in the U.S. and Canada this week due to a lack of parts caused by the delivery delays.
Why Canadian truckers receive donations in Bitcoin
After canceling a GoFundMe campaign, which had raised almost $9 million in donations, advocates jumped to Bitcoin.
After the suspension, GoFundMe informed Freedom Convoy 2022 that it would not be paid $9 million because the “peaceful demonstration had transformed into an occupation,” according to The Guardian.
As a result, the truckers were unable to access their money, which prompted a group of Canadians to take it upon themselves to collect cash for them in various ways, including using Bitcoin. Some very smart people have figured out how to use Bitcoin donations to help truckers in need during this crisis, and those same smart people can show the rest what they can do, too.
There’s another side to the protest that should be considered, as the disruption of supplies to the automotive industry is causing a slump in production, which also translates to people losing their pay in the manufacturing industry. More copycat protests were seen cropping out in other regions.
People sympathetic to the protesting truckers either sent Bitcoin in addresses provided or used a service like BitPay to make donating easier. No matter how they choose to donate, their contribution will go a long way towards helping these truckers get back on their feet after this unfortunate situation. The Bitcoin community also helped the Canadian truckers by sharing their stories.
