Ottawa Community Care Fund

Update January 31st, 2022.

 

We are deeply thankful for everyone's support so far! After realizing how many donations were coming in, it was apparent this was actually more than we expected and that I (Christian), nor ROSE has the organizational capacity to facilitate the fund, both financially or accountability wise. Unfortunately, we struggled to put together a committee of community activists as we had planned, and this is no longer a feasible way to run the fund.

 

I am working now to connect with some organizations in Ottawa that have been around far longer and have better systems in place to handle the money raised, and who will be better positioned to distribute the money to affected community members such as BIPOC and 2SLGBTIQA+ individuals.

 

Until this is done, we've frozen donations. We highly encourage you to search for individuals seeking mutual aid related to the ongoing protest and support them directly.

 

The Situation

 

The Freedom Convoy organized by a handful of far/alt-right activists across a spectrum of hateful ideology has swarmed the City of Ottawa's core. This protest is causing unknown but undoubtedly significant economic damage to already struggling small businesses and restaurants by blocking traffic and scaring residents away from downtown.

 

What is even more apparent is the psychological and emotional impacts on Ottawa residents that this protest is having, especially on those residents that are Black, Indigenous, racialized, Jewish, Queer or Trans. Marginalized groups already experience oppression in their daily lives; we understand the inherent risks associated with our identities and cannot reliably expect to be safe in public.

 

This situation is different. It is not often that we see people brazenly waving frontière du liberation de Quebec, Don't Tread on Me, and even Nazi flags in our city. These vile symbols of hate have found a welcoming home in the Freedom Convoy.

 

The combination of these awful hate symbols displayed so flagrantly by the protestors and the numerous documented incidents of them harassing, battering, and intimidating Ottawa residents have terrified many of us, forcing us to hide in our homes or flee to friend's places outside of the core.

 

This is unacceptable, this is our community.

 

This Fundraiser

 

This fundraiser aims to raise $2500 (previously $1500) to help marginalized people (2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, Disabled, etc) recuperate and recover from this protest. Examples include: