The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that the retrial of peaceful protestor Evan Blackman is set to begin on Thursday, August 14, 2025, in the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa. When Mr. Blackman was first charged with mischief and obstruction for his participation in the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests, Toronto-Dominion Bank froze several of his bank accounts, sparking a national debate about government overreach.

Mr. Blackman was acquitted of all charges in October 2023, but the Crown appealed that decision.

If Mr. Blackman is convicted at his second trial, his lawyer will ask the court to stay all proceedings against him as a remedy for the freezing of his bank accounts.

The judge hearing Mr. Blackman’s retrial has already compelled TD Bank and the RCMP to hand over records about the bank account freezes. “The freezing of Mr. Blackman’s bank accounts was an extreme overreach on the part of the police and the federal government,” says constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury.

“These records will hopefully reveal exactly how and why Mr. Blackman’s accounts were frozen,” he says.

Further information about these records may be revealed, if necessary, at another hearing scheduled for Thursday, August 21, 2025.

Video evidence from the original trial shows Mr. Blackman acting as a peacemaker during the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests, at one point even holding back other protesters to prevent confrontation with police, kneeling in front of officers for several minutes, removing his hat, placing his hands on his chest, and singing “O Canada” shortly before his arrest.

Constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury said, “After being acquitted on all charges following his first trial, and being called a peacemaker by the judge, Mr. Blackman has endured another two years of legal uncertainty.”

“Mr. Blackman is hopeful that he will once again be acquitted, and this matter will finally end,” he added.

MxM News

Quick Hit:

The Trump administration on Friday ordered federal agencies to erase employee COVID-19 vaccination records, mandate noncompliance notes, and exemption requests — part of what officials call a broader rollback of Biden’s “harmful pandemic-era policies.”

Key Details:

• OPM Director Scott Kupor said the decision ensures federal employees are no longer punished for “making a personal medical decision,” adding that “the excesses of that era” should not have lingering effects.
• The order, effective immediately, bars agencies from considering vaccine history in hiring, promotions, discipline, or termination decisions and requires agencies to erase such records from all personnel files within 90 days, unless an employee chooses to keep them.
• Biden’s September 2021 federal worker vaccine mandate faced a legal rollercoaster, with courts issuing and reversing injunctions before the policy was finally struck down and rescinded in May 2023.

Diving Deeper:

The Trump administration on Friday moved to erase one of the most contentious legacies of the Biden-era COVID-19 policies, ordering all federal departments and agencies to delete employee records tied to vaccination status or related mandate disputes.

In a memo sent to agency leaders, the Office of Personnel Management announced the policy shift, framing it as part of the administration’s effort to undo measures that sidelined or penalized federal workers for declining the COVID vaccine.

“Things got out of hand during the pandemic, and federal workers were fired, punished, or sidelined for simply making a personal medical decision,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we’re making sure the excesses of that era do not have lingering effects on federal workers.”

The directive, effective immediately, prohibits agencies from factoring an employee’s COVID-19 vaccination history into any employment decision. Within 90 days, all such records — whether in physical or electronic form — must be purged from personnel files unless the employee requests to keep them on record. Agencies must certify their compliance with Kupor’s order by September 8.

Biden’s original vaccine mandate, issued in September 2021, required all federal employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment. Nearly 98% of covered employees received the shots before a federal judge blocked the mandate in January 2022. That injunction was briefly overturned by a three-judge panel in April 2022, but a year later the full Fifth Circuit struck down the requirement. Biden rescinded the policy in May 2023, months after declaring on “60 Minutes” that the pandemic “is over.”

Friday’s order marks a full policy reversal, ensuring vaccine-related records no longer follow federal workers through their careers — a clear signal from the Trump White House that the Biden-era mandate will have no place going forward.