Freedom Convoy organizer Pat King, who paralyzed downtown Ottawa for three weeks earlier this year, has been released on bail.
The decision was released Monday morning by Justice Anne London-Weinstein of the Ontario Superior Court in Ottawa. The contents of the proceedings are subject to a publication ban, except the decision of the court.
Judge London-Weinstein has declared that Mr. King will have to leave Ottawa within 24 hours, to return to Alberta. Among the conditions of his release on bail, the accused will not be able to use social media and must refrain from participating in activities related to the Freedom Convoy.
He is also prohibited from contacting, except in the presence of a lawyer, other convoy organizers, in particular Chris Barber, Benjamin Dichter, Tamara Lich and Tom Marazzo. He will also have to respect a curfew in Alberta, from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m.
Pat King nodded Monday morning as the judge read the terms of his release. He wore a plaid shirt and his hair was tied in a long braid. In the courtroom, supporters wore “Free Pat King” t-shirts.
When he walked out of the courthouse, Mr King was greeted by cheers and chants of “freedom” sung by a dozen supporters. He responded by raising his fist in the air.
Asked as he left the courthouse whether Mr King will be able to meet the terms of his bail, his lawyer, Natasha Calvinho, said: ‘I think he can. I think the five months in prison were difficult”.
The defendant was back in court last week after his hearing was suddenly interrupted in April when his lawyer’s computer appeared to have been hacked.
The day after that April hearing, the Crown announced that it was bringing six new charges against him: three counts of perjury and three counts of obstructing justice.
These latest charges were in addition to 10 counts related to Pat King’s involvement in the Ottawa protest last winter. He was already charged with, among other things, mischief, intimidation, obstructing police work and disobeying a court order.
Hundreds of heavy trucks and other pickup trucks clogged the streets of downtown Ottawa for weeks last winter. These Canadians were protesting against health restrictions linked to COVID-19 – and, more generally, against the Liberal government, whose dismissal they demanded.