Lich, Barber brace for judgment in Freedom Convoy trial

Chris Barber and Tamara Lich's latest trip to Ottawa carries significance unmatched since their infamous journey three years ago, when they led thousands of people and brought trucks in the Freedom Convoy to protest pandemic mandates and other federal Liberal government policies.

On Thursday they will find out if they are guilty for their roles in the February 2022 protests. Both pleaded not guilty to mischief, intimidation, obstruction and other charges.   

Evidence of the honking horns, blocked streets and large crowds that caused significant disruption to the city featured throughout the trial that started in Sept. 2023. 

Barber maintains he "didn't have control of people" during the protests, citing internal conflicts among protesters and mixed messaging from authorities. Throughout the nearly 50-day trial he kept a journal, questioning what the outcome would be. He watched the fate of other leaders closely but says he never worried about himself too much. 

"It seems like a lot of grasping," he said, referring to the Crown's case against him, during an extensive 2024 interview from his house near Swift Current, Sask.

Lich said she is at peace with what she did, regardless of the outcome.

"I know what I was advocating for. And I know the message that I was trying to get across, which was peace and love and unity and respecting the rule of law. Follow the rules. And don't be jerks, basically," she told CBC during her own interview from Medicine Hat, Alta.

With two stints in jail already behind her, she's reflected on the potential for more — the charges she faces can carry significant time. 

"It doesn't matter who you are, what you've done or whether you're guilty, you're innocent, calling your children from prison is not a nice feeling at all," she said. 

Barber knows a criminal record could impact his trucking business that regularly crosses the U.S. border for work — a poignant irony given the convoy protested border-cross mandates.

But he says a win in court would justify his actions.

"We'll be vindicated if we win. I mean, that will be a celebration," he says of a potential not guilty decision.  

In making her decision, Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey is tasked with reviewing extensive evidence and the complex legal arguments presented during lengthy proceedings that waded into intimate elements of the weeks leading up to, during and after protesters occupied Canada's capital.

The protests led to significant disruptions, prompting the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history. Whether invoking the act was legal is still being litigated.

As Barber and Lich waited for their highly anticipated verdicts, they watched Pat King and other prominent figures in the protests be found guilty on similar charges.  

In a sentence being appealed by prosecutors, King was given three months of house arrest, with credit for nine months already served in custody, and required to complete 100 hours of community service.

Verdicts for Barber and Lich will determine more than their personal fates. Thursday's decision marks a significant chapter in the legal aftermath of the Freedom Convoy protests.

With civil lawsuits still ongoing, both expect to make return trips to Ottawa. 

"I think I'm emotionally and mentally prepared for it. I don't know what to expect," said Lich. "But, again, if I'm found guilty then we're gonna appeal it anyway." 

The decision is expected to be delivered shortly after 10 a.m. at Ottawa's Ontario Court of Justice.