Understanding the “Freedom Convoy” and the Funding of Extremist Groups, with Jessica Davis

Kieran talks with Jessica Davis, a veteran of more than 20 years in defense and intelligence roles in government and the private sector in Canada. They discuss the occupation of Canada’s capitol for three weeks last winter by the so-called “Freedom Convoy,” efforts to support the group via crowdfunding, cryptocurrency, and cash as well as the Canadian government’s successful seizure or freezing of much of that funding. Jessica, president of Insight Threat Intelligence and author of “Illicit Money: Financing Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century,” tells Kieran that the unprecedented use of Canada’s “Emergencies Act” to clear the Convoy encampment and seize its funding should kickoff a nationwide debate about financial support for extremist groups. “While there may not have been mass shootings or big riots, there were some very significant impacts that for Canada, and for Ottawa in particular, are really outside the realm of what we consider to be acceptable protests,” Jessica says, reflecting on the thousands of unemployed and million in damage resulting from the occupation.