James Bauder
Canadian convoy protest leader
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James Ralph Bauder (born Nov 03,1970) has done low paying work for most of his life in Canada. He was NOT a truck driver at the time of the Freedom Convoy. He drove a dilapidated RV across Canada to get to Ottawa to promote himself as a part of the Freedom Convoy. He wrote a new Charter for Canada, and wanted to present it to the Governor General. With that decision he proved himself to be ego-driven but sadly, very limited, intellectually. He was a part of a group in 2019 who went to Ottawa to support Oil and Gas. Bauder and his wife had to get their dilapidated RV from the city compound when they were arrested and quickly released during the Convoy. In a video which Bauder made, he is speaking to his "fans" and his wife is speaking behind him. He continue to film as he mentioned to Sandra that he was filming but she did not hear him and continued to speak. Bauder then reached behind him and flailed his hand and arm at her in a clear attempt to hit her. Contrary to what his supporters state, Bauder is NOT a founder of the Freedom Convoy as reported by the key organizer Tamara Lich. Bauder moved to have his trial in Ottawa moved out of the city because he stated, there was bias among potential jurors in Ottawa against him. The judge ruled, that based on all evidence, Bauder was not known by Ottawans at all because he was not a part of the founding group. This evidence was factual.
Biography
Bauder (born November 3, 1970)[1] is truck driver,[2] married to Sandra Bauder.[3]
Bauder was involved in the United We Roll protest in 2019 that protested the Canadian federal government's environmental protection rules.[4] Bauder has shared QAnon, and anti-vaccination views on his social media channels, where he also challenged the official account of New Zealand's Christchurch mosque shootings.[4][5]
Bauder and his wife Sandra co-founded the Canada Unity group that protested public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][6] The group's Facebook page was registered in late 2019, during the United We Roll movement.[7]
Bauder and less than 100 other protestors drove to Ottawa in October 2021 in a protest they called Convoy for Freedom before he was one of several people who jointly and loosely organised the January 2022 Canada convoy protest.[6] Bauder was arrested in February 2022 as police were ending the Canada convoy protest.[6] He was charged with disobeying a lawful court order, mischief to obstruct property, and obstructing a peace officer.[6] His request to relocate his criminal trial out of Ottawa was denied in February 2023.[8]
In November 2022, at the public enquiry into the Canadian government use of the Emergencies Act, Bauder testified that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was guilty of treason and that God told him to start the convoy.[9] Later that month, Bauder called for a second Freedom Convoy to Ottawa in mid February 2023.[10] Bauder's bail conditions at the time of his call prevent him from visiting the centre of Ottawa.[10]
In July 2025, Bauder reportedly applied for asylum in the United States as a way "to avoid standing trial in Ottawa".[11] On August 31, 2025, a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest was issued after he failed to appear in court in Ottawa following a summons to face criminal charges for his role in the protest.[12][13]