Leading figure convicted of Canadian trucker protests against COVID-19 restrictions

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — One of the world’s most prominent figures Canadian trucker protests He was found guilty of five offenses against COVID-19 restrictions in 2022, including mischief and disobeying a court order.

A judge ruled Friday that Pat King was guilty of one count each of criminal mischief, advising others to misbehave and advising others to obstruct police. He was also found guilty twice of disobeying a court order. He could face up to 10 years in prison.

Hundreds, sometimes thousands of protesters They blocked the streets of the capital, Ottawa, and laid siege to Parliament Hill for three weeks in early 2022, demonstrating against a vaccine mandate for truckers and other measures and denouncing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.

Members of the self-styled Freedom Convoy were also blockaded US-Canada border crossings as a protest.

The prosecution alleged that King was a protest leader who was instrumental in the unrest in Ottawa. The prosecution alleged that King coordinated repeated honking bouts, ordering protesters to honk their horns every 30 minutes for 10 minutes, and told people to “hold the line” when he became aware that police and the city had called on police. truckers must go.

The prosecution’s case relied primarily on King’s own videos that he shared on social media throughout the protest to document the demonstration and communicate with those in attendance.

King’s lawyers argued that King was protesting peacefully and was not one of the leaders of the demonstration.

King was found not guilty on three counts of intimidation and one count of obstructing police.

A convoy of truckers blocked city center streets around Parliament Hill; Residents complained of fumes from diesel engines running non-stop and relentless noise from constant honking of horns and music from parties.

The Trudeau government is after all The Emergencies Law was put into effect Trying to put an end to the protests. Ottawa Police deployed hundreds of officers from forces across Canada.

The protests initially targeted the Covid-19 vaccination requirement for cross-border truckers. They eventually surrounded anger over COVID-19 restrictions and dislike of Trudeau, reflecting the spread of disinformation and simmering populist and right-wing anger in Canada.

The Freedom Convoy shook Canada’s reputation for civility, inspiring convoys in France. New Zealand and the Netherlands and economic trade was disrupted. The busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit has been blocked for almost a week. It carries more than 25 percent of trade between countries that are each other’s largest trading partners.

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