OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) – On the first day of the Freedom Convoy leaders’ sentencing trial, lawyers working on behalf of the Liberal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney inferred that the protest led by Tamara Lich and Chris Barber was tantamount to an occupation of the nation’s capital.
Lich and Barber are in Ottawa for a sentencing hearing after earlier this year being found guilty of mischief for leading the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests against COVID mandates.
Government prosecutors, as reported by LifeSiteNews, are looking to lock Lich up in jail for no less than seven years and her counterpart, Barber, for eight years.
In court on Wednesday, July 23, government lawyers claimed that the entire city of Ottawa was “under siege.”
Lich attended the hearing and Barber joined via videoconference.
Prosecutors started court proceedings by reading Victim Impact Statements (VIS), which were only submitted in writing and not delivered orally.
The VIS claimed negative consequences to local businesses because of the protest, which gridlocked downtown Ottawa in January and February 2022, according to The Democracy Fund (TDF), which is representing Lich.
Government lawyers claimed the protest cost the city $7 million in business and another $55 million in policing costs.
Despite this, Justice Heather Perkins-McVey asked, “I wonder what the costs of Canada Day are?”
Diane Magas, Barber’s lawyer, claimed that the government’s intent to lock him up for eight years is a “cruel” as well as “harsh” sentence that amounts to “unusual punishment.”
Perkins-McVey admitted that her ruling, “will not be an easy one.”
Magas noted that both Barber and Lich had continually sought legal advice as to what they were doing in the protests.
In court, Perkins-McVey did note that both Lich’s and Barber’s previous jail time served might be considered in possibly reducing any sentence given.
While the sentencing trial is scheduled to end July 25, Perkins-McVey noted additional days may be needed.
Lawyers for Lich and Barber have argued in court that any sentence given should be a conditional one, or a suspended sentence, and that jail time is not warranted.
A verdict is not expected until late August.
As reported by LifeSiteNews, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre came out in support of Lich and Barber, blasting a government plan to jail them for nearly a decade.
In April, Lich and Barber were found guilty of mischief for their roles as leaders of the 2022 protest and as social media influencers. The conviction came after a nearly two-year trial despite the non-violent nature of the popular movement.
The Lich and Barber trial concluded in September 2024, more than a year after it began. It was originally scheduled to last 16 days.
Lich and Barber were initially arrested on February 17, 2022, meaning their legal battle has lasted longer than three years.
Despite the peaceful nature of the Freedom Convoy, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act to clear out protesters, an action a federal judge has since said was “not justified.” During the clearout, an elderly lady was trampled by a police horse and many who donated to the cause had their bank accounts frozen.
