TD Bank freezes 2 personal accounts that had $1.1 million paid into them to support Canadian trucker protests

• TD Bank froze two personal accounts, into which $1.1 million was paid to support Canadian truckers.
• The bank applied to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to take the funds, Reuters reported.

Toronto-Dominion (TD) Bank has frozen two personal bank accounts that had $1.1 million paid into them to support trucker protests in Canada, Reuters reported.

The protests have been ongoing since January 22, with members of the Freedom Convoy gathering across Canada in opposition to the country's vaccine mandates for cross-border drivers.

Early on Friday, a judge ordered protesters to end a blockade at the Ambassador Bridge over the border between the US and Canada.

According to a spokesperson, TD Bank appealed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to take the funds, with the intention of returning them to the donors "who have requested refunds but whose entitlement to a refund cannot be determined by TD," per Reuters.

The agency reported that one of the two frozen accounts received a lump sum of C$1 million through GoFundMe. The bank said it was unsure of the origin of the payment. The rest of the money was sent to a second account through numerous bank transfers.

A lawyer for the Freedom Convoy sent an email to Reuters that said TD has been put "on notice that their actions are improper and disappointing." The email, written by Keith Wilson, also said the convoy will seek a court order to release the money raised to a new not-for-profit corporation.

Insider reported in early February that GoFundMe took down a page that had $10 million donations destined to the group.

Since then, donations have been given through GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding site, which said it would not comply with the Ontario Superior Court order to freeze all funds, per Reuters.

Insider reached out to both TD Bank and Keith Wilson for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Wilson added in the email to Reuters that they are "also going to be taking the Ontario government to court to seek an immediate lifting of what we consider to be an unlawful order."

The protests have caused food shortages for independent grocers and those living in the most remote areas, who rely on imported goods.