By Canadian Press

‘Freedom Convoy’ press conferences to be watched in criminal trial

Sep 13, 2023 | 2:04 AM

OTTAWA — The court is expected to watch several lengthy press conferences hosted by the “Freedom Convoy” as the criminal trial for two of the protest’s organizers enters its seventh day.

Chris Barber and Tamara Lich, who is from Medicine Hat, were two people who initially organized a convoy of big-rig trucks to come to Ottawa in the winter of 2022 to protest COVID-19 public health measures and call for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down.

They both face mischief and several counselling charges, including mischief, intimidation and obstructing police, over their role in organizing the protest that blockaded city streets for three weeks.

The court has already watched hours of video posted to Barber’s TikTok account and the “Freedom Convoy 2022” Facebook page.

The defence is arguing the admissibility of the Facebook posts, which have not yet been entered into evidence in the judge-alone trial.

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In some of the videos watched so far, both Lich and Baber appear to have encouraged supporters to come to Ottawa and stay there, even as police ordered protesters to leave.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2023.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press