Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich arrested
Lich's reported arrest follows an earlier warning from Ottawa police that a crack down was imminent, and shortly after another convoy organizer was arrested.
According to reports from journalist Joe Warmington, Freedom Convoy 2022 organizer Tamara Lich has been arrested tonight by Ottawa police.
BREAKING— #FreedomConvoy organizer Tamara Lich has been arrested by @OttawaPolice pic.twitter.com/cK9CadOPaR
— Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) February 18, 2022
Two photos are being circulated of at least one police officer handcuffing Lich in downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill.
A video of the arrest was later posted online.
BREAKING: Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich arrested
— Yanky 🐊 🚚🚛🚜 (@Yanky_Pollak) February 18, 2022
MORE: https://t.co/d2vV2oK9Qc pic.twitter.com/uG2htM2WbG
Last night, Lich posted a message to social media where she appeared to accept that she would soon be arrested.
“There's a pretty good chance — well I think it's inevitable at this point — but, uh, I'll probably be going somewhere tomorrow [Thursday] where I'll be getting three square meals a day. And that's OK,' Lich said.
“I'm OK with that. And I want you to know that I am not afraid,” she added.
Another convoy organizer, Chris Barber, was also arrested tonight.
Lich is the Métis organizer of the original GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign for the trucker convoy that travelled to Ottawa to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers.
After astonishing support, both financially through crowdfunding and physically through support from those who turned out along overpasses to wave Canadian flags, the movement spiralled into a more broad protest against COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates.
Recently, Lich had been in discussions with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. Coming to terms through negotiations brokered by Dean French, the former chief of staff to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a deal was struck between convoy organizers and the city that resulted in numerous trucks leaving residential areas.
French explained his decision to mediate between the City of Ottawa officials and Freedom Convoy organizers in a column published by the National Post tonight, citing former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford as his reason for meeting with Mayor Watson.
Breaking: Mayor Watson will meet with Convoy Organizer Tamara Lich on the “conditions for them to exit residential neighbourhoods.” Watson wants evidence of this before noon February 14. This agreement “was reached through backchannel negotiations.” See correspondence below 👇 pic.twitter.com/2sXLvs9DFp
— Annie Bergeron-Oliver (@AnnieClaireBO) February 13, 2022
Peckford is currently suing the Canadian government over its mandatory vaccine requirement for air travellers, and had a lengthy conversation last month with Ezra Levant about the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Peckford is the last living premier to have signed the document.
On Thursday afternoon, Steve Bell, the interim chief of Ottawa police, warned that a crackdown on the demonstration was “imminent.” Most truckers Rebel News reporter Alexa Lavoie spoke to earlier had insisted they would stay, despite the numerous types of threats levied against them.
Another Rebel in Ottawa, Lincoln Jay, heard a similar sentiment from protesters he spoke to, with one saying that he was “in it for the long haul.”
With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau choosing to invoke the Emergencies Act, we've launched a petition to tell MPs to vote against approving the Act at EndEmergencyOrders.com.
To see all of Rebel News' coverage of the Freedom Convoy, or to support our independent journalism, visit ConvoyReports.com.
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