(LifeSiteNews) — Freedom Convoy protestor Evan Blackman has been convicted at his retrial, despite being acquitted at his original trial.
On November 21, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom (JCCF) announced that the Ontario Court of Justice found Blackman guilty of mischief for his role in the 2022 Freedom Convoy, which a previous judge characterized as a “peacemaker.”
“We are disappointed that the Court declined to stay Mr. Blackman’s convictions, which are tainted by the serious infringements of his Charter-protected rights,” constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury said in a press release. “Mr. Blackman is currently assessing whether he will be appealing this finding.”
This month, the Ontario Court of Justice heard a retrial of Blackman’s case after he was fully acquitted of mischief and obstruction in October 2023.
Drone footage of the 2022 protest against COVID mandates showed Blackman attempting to maintain peace. He is seen restraining fellow protesters to avoid clashes with police, kneeling before officers for several minutes, taking off his hat, placing his hands on his chest, and singing “O Canada” just before his arrest.
However, following his acquittal, the Crown challenged the ruling, leading to the November ruling, which convicted Blackman. Blackman received a conditional discharge for his conviction, meaning he will not serve jail time or have a criminal record.
The court sentenced him to 12 months’ probation, 122 hours of community service, and $200 victim fine surcharge.
Additionally, the judge rejected his Charter challenge that sought to overturn the convictions due to the government freezing his bank accounts under the Emergency Act, which has since been found to be unlawful.
In 2022, TD Bank froze Blackman’s three bank accounts for his participation in the Freedom Convoy in accordance with the direction of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who froze the bank accounts of those who donated to the Freedom Convoy.
At the time, the move was carried out under the Emergencies Act (EA), which Trudeau enforced to give Liberal increased powers to disperse the protesters under the claim that the protest was violent.
However, far from being violent, videos of the protest against COVID regulations and vaccine mandates show Canadians from across the country gathering outside Parliament engaged in dancing, street hockey, and other family-friendly activities.
In fact, the only acts of violence caught on video were carried out against the protesters after the Trudeau government directed police to end the protest. One such video showed an elderly women being trampled by a police horse.
The measures under the EA included freezing the bank accounts of Canadians who donated to the protest and use of police horses to force protesters out of Ottawa. Trudeau revoked the EA on February 23 after the protesters had been cleared out. At the time, seven of Canada’s 10 provinces opposed Trudeau’s use of the EA.
In 2024, Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley ruled that Trudeau was “not justified” in invoking the Emergencies Act.
