The trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber continues on day 15 today in Ottawa. As two of the most prominent faces of the Freedom Convoy, Lich and co-accused Chris Barber are facing charges of mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief, and intimidation. The Freedom Convoy demonstrations drew thousands of Canadians to Ottawa in early 2022 in opposition to COVID-19 restrictions.
Watch a full recap of day 14 of the trial:
Rebel News reporter Robert Kraychik is once again reporting from inside the Ottawa courthouse and will be providing live updates. Videographer Lincoln Jay is also on the scene to cover all of the reactions and commentary from outside the courthouse.
Follow along below:
“The whole environment of the church was brutally altered by this [protest],” adds the witness. She says she observed protesters “urinating … on church property” at least three times, placing clothing on statues of Jesus, and signs above church signage.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
“I was unable to take my car to work,” says the next witness, a church administrator working in downtown. She adds, “[My parking spot] was blocked,” “The noise, the diesel smell … infiltrated the church.” https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
“Yes, but emotionally I did not feel like I could concentrate,” the witness replies when asked by Barber’s lawyer if she could restore her concentration at work after the city-wide injunction against honking.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
FWIW, I was at the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa every day, and I felt AMAZING and SAFE while being there. Perhaps my feelings and emotions need “reprogramming”, or is it “deprogramming”? Maybe I’m ideologically immune to fake news, metaphorically vaccinated against disinformation?
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
“When I went on my walks, I did wear my mask,” the witness says, stating she was harassed “a handful of times” by protestors telling her to take off her mask while walking in downtown Ottawa. She said she did “not particularly” engage with protesters.https://t.co/TWDiMnkkE8
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
“I felt scared,” the witness says about leaving her apartment in downtown Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy, adding, “I didn’t feel comfortable.” She’s made several remarks about her feelings and emotions. Feelz before reelz?https://t.co/txN63RHOQEhttps://t.co/TWDiMnkkE8
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
“She may have felt a certain way, but that may not have been the reality,” the judge says to the Crown about the witness’s testimony after the witness is temporarily excused from the courtroom, adding “She’s giving very general evidence.”https://t.co/TWDiMnkkE8
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
“Everyone else was walking around downtown,” the judge says to the Crown after the witness is excused from the courtroom to resolve an objection raised by the defense. The witness made several claims of her inability to get around downtown.https://t.co/TWDiMnkkE8
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
“Non-stop honking” was “intolerable”, adds the witness, a middle-aged white woman, expressing the harms she claims she endured as a product of the Freedom Convoy. She says she “wasn’t sleeping properly”.https://t.co/TWDiMnkkE8
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
Day 15 of the Tamara Lich and Chris Barber trial; first witness for the Crown – an Ottawa resident who lives/works downtown – said “excessive honking” made it “very difficult to concentrate” at work”, “I was anxious in relation to trying to do my work.”https://t.co/TWDiMnkkE8
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 12, 2023
https://www.rebelnews.com/live_updates_freedom_convoy_organizer_tamara_lich_s_trial_continues_on_day_15
