BAD NEWS: Jury convicts the Coutts Three
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news: a Lethbridge jury has convicted the Coutts Three of mischief for their role in the border blockade in 2022.
Marco Van Huigenbos, Alex Van Herk and George Janzen were convicted last night after the jury deliberated for several hours.
Guilty verdicts for all Coutts Three defendants - Marco Van Huigenbos, George Janzen, and Alex Van Herk - on the charge of mischief over $5,000. This stort still isn't over, though. https://t.co/mIhJKvGq4E pic.twitter.com/LKMcHbmZOs
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) April 17, 2024
The next step in the process will be sentencing — which will likely happen in July.
Obviously Rebel News will be there to cover that hearing, and The Democracy Fund will continue to crowdfund the lawyers. You can follow along and help out at www.CouttsThree.com.
There are three other major trucker-related court battles still ongoing:
- The so-called Coutts Four trial has begun for the two remaining men. Rebel News’s Robert Kraychik is in Lethbridge and now that the Coutts Three trial is over, he’ll report on that one. Rebel News has set up a special website to crowdfund for one of the men, at www.HelpChris.ca.
- Tamara Lich is still on trial in Ottawa, though the case is on a break. Robert has covered that trial since the beginning, and he’ll be back in Ottawa when it starts up again. We’re crowdfunding for Tamara’s lawyers at www.HelpTamara.com.
- Last year, Pastor Artur Pawlowski was convicted of mischief for giving a sermon to the Coutts protesters. We’re crowdfunding the appeal of that conviction, and that will be heard in Calgary in September. You can help crowdfund that battle at www.SaveArtur.com. I plan to attend that hearing personally to report on it.
I know that last night’s jury decision is demoralizing. And looking at the other battles I’ve just listed can seem overwhelming. But perhaps I can share with you some ways I’m thinking about all this:
- The Coutts protest was enormously successful. It resulted in the resignation of Alberta’s pro-lockdown premier and the rapid ending of vaccine mandates in the province.
- The trucker convoy to Ottawa marked the beginning of the end of Trudeau’s lockdowns, and activated hundreds of thousands of Canadians for freedom. It also led to the departure of the pro-lockdown leader of the Conservative Party.
- Each of the people on trial here isn’t just standing up for themselves, they are standing up for us, and for freedom. They’re the ones in jeopardy — all we have to do is help them.
- While last night’s jury result is disappointing, there have been important courtroom victories. For example, the Federal Court ruled that Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act was illegal and unconstitutional.
- These battles have created a generation of freedom activists, many of whom were never political before.
I can tell you from first-hand observation that the legal vendetta against the Coutts Three, Tamara Lich, Pastor Artur Pawlowski and others has awakened many Canadians to the dangers of authoritarianism. If anything, it’s turned these defendants into martyrs.
The legal battles have also created a whole new generation of freedom-oriented lawyers across the country — including the four lawyers we crowdfunded for this fight in Lethbridge.
Obviously I’m disappointed in last night’s result. But we’ll keep on fighting — Rebel News will continue to report on these important cases and we’ll keep crowdfunding to provide lawyers to brave Canadians standing up for freedom.
I hope you’ll help us.
If you want to help with the Coutts Three legal bills (including for the upcoming sentencing battle) please click here.
And if you want to help us continue to deploy a full-time court reporter covering these cases (that the mainstream media ignores) please click here.
Thanks for yours solidarity.
Thanks for your help.
Ezra Levant
Rebel Commander
Ezra Levant is the founder and owner of Rebel News and the host of The Ezra Levant Show. He is the author of multiple best-selling books including Ethical Oil and most recently, China Virus.