Lawyers make final arguments for acquittal of convoy organizers

OTTAWA — An Ottawa court is expected to hear final arguments for acquittal from the legal teams of two “Freedom Convoy” figureheads today.

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber are fighting criminal charges for their role in organizing the protest in 2022, which brought massive crowds and thousands of big rig trucks to downtown Ottawa for weeks, in opposition to pandemic restrictions.

The two are charged with mischief, intimidation and counselling others to break the law, but their trial has been legally complicated and marked with dozens of starts and stops since it began last September.

Today marks day four of closing arguments, and the court is expected to hear first from Barber’s counsel before Lich’s lawyers deliver their final submissions.

Barber’s lawyer Diane Magas told the court last week that her client is not responsible for the individual actions of protest participants.

The Crown has already told the court the two knowingly “crossed the line” between legal protest and illegal mischief making, but will get a chance to reply to the defence arguments before the end of the trial.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2024.

The Canadian Press