(Ottawa) The legal team for “Freedom Convoy” co-organizer Tamara Lich says she was not part of any conspiracy to break the law when she helped organize a massive protest against COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Ottawa.
The Crown alleges that Mr.me Lich and another organizer, Chris Barber, were in cahoots to block roads and disrupt Ottawa residents in an effort to pressure the federal government to drop COVID-19 health restrictions and vaccine mandates in 2022.
Both are co-accused of mischief, intimidation and counselling others to break the law. If the Crown’s conspiracy argument holds, the evidence against one of the organizers would also apply to the other.
PHOTO JUSTIN TANG, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Chris Barber
M’s lawyerme Lich’s Eric Granger says the problem is that the goal they were conspiring to achieve—lifting health restrictions and getting vaccinated as required by the government—is not inherently illegal.
He argues that this means the Crown must prove that the means they used to achieve their objective were unlawful.
He argues that there is little evidence linking Mme Lich has committed malicious acts that occurred during the protest, aside from encouraging people to come to Ottawa to legally protest.