Former N.L. PC leader Ches Crosbie donated money to support the Freedom Convoy

The former leader of the province's Progressive Conservative party has donated money to the protest movement gripping parts of Ontario, saying he supports the Freedom Convoy's calls for reduced public health restrictions.

Ches Crosbietold CBC News he's chosen to support the protesters in Ottawa with an $800 donation throughan online crowdfunding platform, which he paid on Feb. 8.

"Indefinite states of emergency, such as we are under in most of Canada, are a dangerous thing, a very dangerous thing," Crosbietold CBC News on Monday.

"I support the right of peaceful protest and I see the Freedom Convoy as a peaceful protest."

The federal government invoked the Emergencies Act on Monday to disperse blockades clogging main arteries in the nation's capital, with officials in Ottawa decrying damage to the Canadian economy.

"It is now clear that there are serious challenges to law enforcement'sability to effectively enforcethe law," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters ata news conference Monday afternoon.

"It is no longer a lawful protest at a disagreement over government policy. It is now an illegal occupation. It's time for people to go home."

Crosbie, however, said he sees it differently.

"You have to get your information from whatever sources are available, and what I've been reading is that the vast majority of what you call the protesters are law-abiding people who could well be your neighbours," he said.

"As far as I can tell, what's going on is, by and large, lawful."

Ottawa police have reported safety concerns and"aggressive, illegal behaviour" from the protesters.

Mandates 'unconstitutional'

Longtime lawyer Crosbie also said he believes requiringvaccination against COVID-19for travel within the country is unconstitutional.

"I think the mandates and the states of emergency should be terminated immediately. I think something very important is at stake, and that's our constitutional rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms," he said.

"Governments have taken a very cavalier attitude as to whether what they are doing is legal or not."

Crosbie said he agrees with former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Brian Peckford,also an outspokensupporter ofthe protest.

Donation list

CBC News has reviewed information that appears to identify tens of thousands of Freedom Convoy donors to the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo.

The data, hacked and released briefly on its front page, includes names, locations, dollar amounts, personal email addressesand even the credit card companies used for each transaction.

In total, the database shows donations from more than 190people who used Newfoundland and Labradorpostal codes, but CBC cannot verify whether those individuals actually live in the province.

Convoy organizershave raised millions of dollars, initially through the GoFundMe crowdfunding site. When GoFundMeshut the fundraising campaign down, organizerspivoted to GiveSendGo.

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