Twitter has banned Freedom Convoy, the official account of Canadian truckers protesting over COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions around the pandemic.
Gatekeepers News had earlier reported that the Mayor of Canada’s capital Ottawa has declared a state of emergency following the protests which have exceeded a week, saying the protests posed a threat to residents’ safety as there were reports of racial attacks.
“Freedom Convoy” was sparked by the introduction of a new rule last month which mandates all truckers to be vaccinated across the US-Canada border. The protests have, however, morphed into broader challenges to COVID-19 health restrictions.
On Tuesday, Freedom Convoy was suspended on Twitter.
A spokesperson for Twitter told Newsweek: “The account you referenced has been permanently suspended for violating the Twitter Rules on ban evasion.”
The rules include users not being allowed to circumvent permanent suspensions. This includes making a new account to serve the same purpose as an account that has been spent.
According to Twitter’s website, it may choose to suspend accounts that violate the network’s rules. These include rules around safety, which prohibits threatening or promoting violence, terrorism, child sexual exploitation on a profile. There is a ban on abuse and harassment, hateful conduct, suicide or self-harm, as well as other “sensitive media.”
