Tamara Lich’s and Chris Barber’s trial concluded its sixth day on Tuesday, with the day’s proceedings dedicated to video presentations by the prosecution for consideration and acceptance as evidentiary exhibits.
Barber and Lich are both being charged with mischief, intimidation, obstructing police, and counselling others to commit mischief in relation to their roles as organizers of 2022’s Freedom Convoy protest.
Sgt. Joanne Pilotte’s of Ottawa Police Service (OPS) testified that a criminal investigation related to the Freedom Convoy – presumably targeting Barber and Lich – began as early as February 14, 2022.
She is being invited by the Crown as a witness given that her previous role involved collecting online videos – often produced by Barber and Lich – featuring the two defendants.
Pilotte stated that she searched for and made digital copies of online videos featuring Barber and Lich as part of a criminal investigation as early as February 12, 2022.
The demonstration was forcefully put down by police on February 23, 2022.
Update from @rkraychik on day 6 of trial for Tamara Lich and Chris Barber.
Ottawa Police began a criminal investigation related to the Freedom Convoy as early as February 14th, 2022.https://t.co/52zo5bkxKr pic.twitter.com/2gbulWKVdH
— Lincoln Jay (@lincolnmjay) September 12, 2023
Pilotte scanned online platforms including Facebook, TikTok, and Rumble for videos of Barber and Lich as part of the OPS criminal investigation regarding the Freedom Convoy.
Some of the videos she collected have been shared by the prosecution.
Crown is still playing “social media” videos of Chris Barber urging Canadians to visit Ottawa to support the Freedom Convoy while regularly emphasizing the “peaceful” nature of the protest and remarking on “love” and “hugs” characterizing the atmosphere.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) September 12, 2023
Videos presented to the judge of Barber, Lich, and certain Freedom Convoy volunteers, frequently included statements from the defendants emphasizing the “peaceful” nature of the protest and regular calls for demonstrators to maintain peaceable conduct, including advocacy for compliance with police officers ahead of expected mass arrests.
In one video played by the prosecution, Lich lamented governmental violations of constitutional rights – without due process – under the rubric of “public health” in relation to COVID-19.
“We have lost our fundamental rights and freedoms,” she stated. “Most of all, we have lost hope.”
Lich highlighted the harmful impacts of government edicts and decrees – marketed as “COVID-19 policies” – on children’s education and businesses resulting from lockdowns.
She called for cancellation of “masking requirements and vaccine mandates”.
Lich added that families, friends, and co-workers were being divided by disagreements in relation to government edicts and decrees.
She also noted widespread “censorship” deployed across the internet by technology giants at the behest of governments, ostensibly to combat what authorities frequently label “misinformation”, “disinformation”, and “malinformation”.
“We are here out of love for our families, communities, and nation,” Lich said in one video. “We have lost our fundamental rights and freedoms … most of all, we have lost hope,” she added.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) September 12, 2023
In another of the prosecution’s evidentiary videos, an emotional and tearful Lich urged Freedom Convoy supporters to maintain kindness towards their detractors, including hostile “mainstream media”, police officers, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
She noted that Trudeau “has three beautiful children” while critiquing crude messaging campaigns such as “F*** TRUDEAU”.
“I pray that you all find forgiveness in your hearts … and love,” Lich maintained, adding, “They’re trying to provoke us … we can only win this with love.”
https://www.rebelnews.com/tamara_lich_and_chris_barber_freedom_convoy_organizers_day_6_trial_recap