MPP Randy Hillier to surrender to police over charges linked to Freedom Convoy
Independent Ontario MPP Randy Hillier is expected to turn himself in to Ottawa police on Monday morning over charges stemming from the Freedom Convoy protests.
Toronto SunĀ reporter Joe Warmington broke the news of the charges against Hillier on Twitter Sunday evening.
BREAKINGāFrontenac MPP Randy Hillier tells ā¦@TheTorontoSunā© he has been asked to surrender to Ottawa Police 2b charged with serious criminal offences relating to Feb. #FreedomConvoy ā the 64-year-old is scheduled to arrive at HQ Elgin St 7 am. Bail hearing will be needed pic.twitter.com/a8ApvpgrvS
ā Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) March 28, 2022
Warmington reported that while Hillier has yet to be formally charged, the āupcoming counts are numerous and serious,ā which would mean āprison time if convicted.ā
Rebel NewsĀ boss Ezra Levant was critical of the decision for police to charge Hillier, describing Hillier as a āpolitical prisoner.ā
Randy Hiller is an elected member of the Ont. legislature. Trudeauās police are jailing him for supporting the truckers. Canada is no longer a free country. Weāre only partly free. Hillier is a political prisoner. But because he opposed lockdowns, the media will cheer his arrest https://t.co/e4ao8AvJf6
ā Ezra Levant šš (@ezralevant) March 28, 2022
The 64-year-old LanarkāFrontenacāKingston MPP recently received a permanent suspension from Twitter, at the time telling CTV News that heĀ āerred and stated a fact which Twitter found offensiveā when discussing documents from Pfizer released by a court order.
In February, Hillier announced he would head the newly created Ontario First Party in the province's upcoming provincial election.
Closely linked to Maxime Bernier's federal People's Party of Canada, Ontario First failed to materialize, with Hillier declaring in early March that he would not be running for re-election.Ā
An outspoken critic of COVID policies, Hillier was ticketed for his role in a November 2020 protest outside of the Ontario legislature.
Hillier and Bernier were also charged following a protest in Peterborough, Ont. in April 2021.Ā Rebel NewsĀ reporter David Menzies was also given a fine while covering the protest.
Hillier toldĀ Rebel News that he would be turning himself into Ottawa police at 7 a.m. Monday morning.
