(Ottawa) Pat King, one of the main organizers of the anti-government demonstration near Parliament Hill, is scheduled to appear in court on Saturday to face charges against him.
Posted at 9:39
The Ottawa Police Service says King faces charges of mischief, counseling others to commit mischief, disobeying a court order and counseling to obstruct work. to police.
King filmed his own arrest on Facebook on Friday.
He is one of more than 100 people arrested following police operations to root out protesters who have paralyzed the heart of the city of Ottawa for nearly four weeks.
Two other organizers, Chris Barber and Tamara Lich, had also been arrested. The authorities accuse the two individuals of having advised them to commit mischief. Barber also faces charges of counseling others to disobey a court order and obstructing police work.
PHOTO PATRICK DOYLE, REUTERS
Tamara Lich
A judge of the Ontario Court of Justice said Friday night that bail could be granted to Mr. Barber. Judge Julie Bourgeois released him on a $100,000 bond and on the conditions that he leave Ontario by February 23, that he not publicly support the motorcade and that he have no contact with the other main organizers of the demonstration. Mme Lich is due in the Ottawa courtroom on Saturday morning and was expected to spend the night in jail pending his bail hearing.
Mr. King, Mme Lich and other organizers of the so-called ‘freedom convoy’ also had their bank accounts – including bitcoin and cryptocurrency funds – temporarily frozen following a US Superior Court ruling. ‘Ontario Thursday.
Police say at least 21 vehicles were towed on Friday.
At a press conference on Friday, the acting chief of the Ottawa Police Service, Steve Bell, reported a “methodical” operation. He said the police were controlling the area, but added that clearing the area would take time.