Freedom Convoy Trial to Hear Ottawa Police on Day 2

An Ottawa court is expected to hear from other members of the city’s police department on Wednesday, the second day of the trial of two key organizers of the “Freedom Convoy.”

The 16-day hearing began on Tuesday with a Crown prosecutor presenting the case against Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, who are jointly charged with mischief, counseling others to commit mischief, intimidation and obstructing the police.

Prosecutor Tim Radcliffe told the court in his opening statement that the two men’s political views against COVID-19 health orders are not on trial, but rather the means by which they attempted to end those orders. .

The court viewed a 12-minute video compilation of footage shot by police cameras as well as drones that captured the horns and atmosphere as hundreds of protesters blocked streets in downtown Ottawa for three weeks in the winter of 2022.

It was the first of many videos the Crown plans to show in court, including videos taken by Lich and Barber themselves.

Lawyers for Lich and Barber challenged, during the first day of the trial, the Crown’s use of the term “occupation” to characterize the protest, saying it was not only inaccurate but also insensitive to past and present people who lived under occupied control.