LIVE UPDATES: Ottawa Police testify at Tamara Lich Trial
In February 2022, thousands of Canadians came together to oppose the draconian public health mandates imposed by government during the COVID pandemic.
Tamara Lich and co-accused Chris Barber face several non-violent charges for organizing the 2022 Freedom Convoy.
Thousands of Canadians came from around the country then to oppose the draconian public health mandates imposed upon the population by government.
According to the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC), the weeks-long protest in front of Parliament Hill was rooted in a "loss of faith in government" and "economic hardship" caused by their response to the COVID pandemic.
Commissioner Paul Rouleau acknowledged a "diversity" of views among the protestors, of which some supposedly desired to commit "dangerous acts," including an 'occupation' of the nation’s capital, and several border blockades at the time.
Among its chief advocates include Lich and Barber, who face charges of mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief, and intimidation. The former has spent 49 days in prison as of writing.
While the Commissioner considered the Emergencies Act an "appropriate" and "effective" deterrent to the Convoy protests, he admitted that other "reasonable and informed people" could reach different conclusions on invoking the Act.
Rouleau would openly criticized the feds for not adequately preparing for the Freedom Convoy, which could have avoided the measures taken under the Emergencies Act, he said.
It is not a "tool of convenience" but a "tool of last resort," added Rouleau.
Follow along with updates from Robert Kraychik below:
Chris Barber and Tamara Lich Day 23; Diane Magas and Eric Granger, lawyers for Barber and Lich, respectively, reference previous court judgments regarding decisions of disclosure of documents deemed confidential via attorney-client privilege by the Crown.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 27, 2023
Continuing Thursday's disclosure dispute, the Crown is seeking to prevent full revelation of several series of documents - including internal Ottawa Police emails - it claims should be partially/wholly redacted on the basis of solicitor-client privilege.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 27, 2023
"That's a valid distinction," the judge says, accepting Diane Magas's emphasis that the emails she wants disclosed are police-to-police communications that did NOT include correspondences with lawyers; therefore NOT protected by attorney-client privilege.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 27, 2023
Jordan Blonde, and Ottawa Police Service officer who worked with the Police Liaison Team during the Freedom Convoy testifies that Chris Barber told him that the protest sought "acknowledgement from the federal government" and Justin Trudeau.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 27, 2023
The Freedom Convoy included tents where protesters "were serving hot food and drinks to anybody", recalls Jordan Blonde, an OPS officer working with the PLT at the time. I reported on that at the time. https://t.co/CapCnt3lnihttps://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) October 27, 2023
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