Protester regretful over involvement with ‘Freedom Convoy’ movement in downtown Ottawa


More than a month after the so-called Freedom Convoy occupied downtown Ottawa, one protestor says he feels regretful over taking part.

Martin Joseph Anglehart says he spent all of his life savings helping people with the convoy, and is now living out of his vehicle near Kenora, Ont.

Anglehart says he only joined because he wanted to feel part of something after months of feeling lonely.

“I’m still as alone as I was two months ago,” said the 41-year-old from his car. “I still don’t have friends and I still don’t have family. I’m living in the back of a fricken car, so yah, I regret going.”

Anglehart joined the convoy in Medicine Hat, Alta., where he then traveled to Ottawa in January.

He said he spent more than $13,000, his entire life savings.

Anglehart wasn’t passionate about the cause, but joined the convoy because he was upset that he wasn’t able to say goodbye to his closest friend in hospital because of pandemic restrictions, who later died of cancer.

“Loneliness was one of the worst things for me,” Anglehart said.

After arriving in the nation’s capital, he wanted to help and quickly got involved in transferring thousands of dollars in cash for occupiers, as well as purchasing food and fuel.

“They said we need gas, we need to keep the truck going,” he said. “They said keep your receipt and we will put it with the sheets and I said ok.”

He was hopeful that he would be reimbursed from crowd-sourcing platforms, but that never happened.

Text messages provided by Anglehart show some of the exchanges, where he writes, “Appreciate it. I emptied my Paypal. I should have more money coming in. I spent all my savings.”

Then the worry set in, as he wrote in a text message, “I put in all my savings so far. Just worried.”

Anglehart says he was arrested on Feb. 15 for delivering fuel.

“I was given a piece of paper that said I had to be outside the radius of Ottawa and I left, the day before my account got frozen,” he said.

He now wants to apologize to the residents of Ottawa for his involvement.

“I’m sorry to the people of Ottawa,” he said. “You had to endure all the horns and all the weirdos.”

He is working to rebuild his life, as his bank account remains frozen.


Leave a Comment