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Tamara Lich was arrested in Ottawa on Feb. 17. (screengrab from Twitter video)

Tamara Lich denied bail, will stay in custody until trial

Jul 8, 2022 | 12:29 PM

A judge has ruled Ottawa protest organizer Tamara Lich will remain in custody while awaiting trial.

In court today, Justice of the Peace Paul Harris said that by attending an event last month to celebrate her role in the so-called “Freedom Convoy” and subsequent occupation of downtown Ottawa and her actions while at the event, Lich has shown she is not prepared to follow court orders.

At a bail hearing on July 5, lawyers argued over Lich’s attendance at a Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms gala in June where she was photographed with Tom Marazzo. Lich and Marazzo were prominent voices of the “Freedom Convoy” in January and February. Lich was at the gala to accept an award for organizing the protest.

Lich, from Medicine Hat, was arrested in Ottawa in February and charged with mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation for her role in the “Freedom Convoy” that gridlocked the nation’s capital for weeks. Lich was released on bail subject to strict conditions, including not communicating with other organizers of the “Freedom Convoy.”

Harris ruled Lich’s actions at last month’s gala were a breach of those conditions.

On June 27, she was arrested by members of the Medicine Hat Police Service on a Canada-wide warrant requested by the Ottawa Police Service. She was transported to Ottawa later that week and has been held in custody since then.

Lich is to return to court on July 14.