‘Freedom’ movement fighting against ‘perceived government overreach’: CSIS

The loosely knit collective that vocally opposed COVID-19 health measures has morphed into a movement waging a broader fight against “perceived government overreach,” says a newly released assessment from Canada’s spy agency.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s analytical brief traces the evolution of the “Freedom” movement that began to emerge following the early 2022 protests that paralyzed downtown Ottawa and key Canada-U.S. border points.

In early February 2022, the streets around Parliament Hill were jammed with protesters, many in large trucks that rolled into the capital beginning in late January.

Initially promoted as a demonstration against COVID-19 health restrictions — including lockdowns and vaccine mandates — the gathering attracted people with various grievances against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government.

Exactly two years ago, the federal government responded by invoking the Emergencies Act, which allowed for temporary measures including the prohibition of public assemblies, direction to banks to freeze assets and a ban on support for participants.

The Canadian Press used the Access to Information Act to obtain the April 2023 CSIS brief, “Defining the ‘Freedom’ Movement,” and related assessments of what the spy service calls ideologically motivated violent extremism.

While a movement may collectively hold extreme views, only a small portion of those involved may be willing to engage in serious violence, CSIS says.

The intelligence service points to the constitutional protection of freedom of expression and stresses that it does not investigate lawful protest unless it is carried out in conjunction with threat-related activities.

As many public health measures began to be lifted by early