On July 23, Convoy organizers Lich and Barber returned to court for sentencing submissions.

While Rebel News founder Ezra Levant live-tweeted from inside the courtroom, Guillaume Roy and Alexa Lavoie were outside, asking: What do Ottawa residents really think about the convoy—and the Crown’s push for harsh punishment?

The responses were shocking, emotional, and deeply divided.

One man didn’t hold back: “These were terrorists causing grief to all of the residents of Ottawa… I really do hope that they get what they deserve in court.” Another echoed the sentiment: “They should all be in jail. This was a pre-meditated deliberate attempt to break the law.”

"These were terrorists… embarrassing Canadians like ourselves," an Ottawa man tells me, sharing his thoughts on the 2022 Freedom Convoy that pushed back against COVID tyranny at the time.

He goes on to describe Poilievre’s comments criticizing the hypocrisy in the justice… pic.twitter.com/RwGQFP6Bxd

— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) July 23, 2025

Some shared personal stories of fear—ironically echoing the same narrative pushed by the mainstream media:

“I had a lot of threats from people yelling at me for wearing a mask… ringing bells, yelling ‘Freedom! Freedom!’”

Others, however, criticized the prosecution: “Maybe 30 days or something like that, but seven, eight years? No, that’s ridiculous.”

A former court stenographer warned: “They’re being made examples to make sure nobody ever protests this government again.”

While some repeated mainstream narratives— “They were white supremacists … racists”—others who experienced the convoy firsthand had a different view: “It was lifesaving… It was a love fest.”

An Ottawa woman refers to the 2022 Freedom Convoy — which pushed back against vaccine mandates in Canada — as “racist,” adding that “people of colour were being harassed” and that participants were “kind of like white supremacists.”

Do you agree?

Organizers of the peaceful… pic.twitter.com/hYSSX41WKt

— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) July 23, 2025

Perhaps the most interesting takeaway came from one resident: “This is entirely political… to scare people from standing up and protesting against the government.”

Is this justice—or a warning from the state?

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