A court in Canada sentenced 2 men to six and a half years in prison for participating in the organization of a blockade of the U.S. border in Coutts, Alberta province, during the so-called. ‘Freedom convoy‘in 2022. During these protests against the harsh restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, both men carried arms. This conviction sparked a storm in Canadian media, and the subject of the Freedom convoy and its associated processes remains hot in public debate.
Freedom convoy: Answer to COVID-19 Policy
Protests under the Freedom convoy were a reaction to the severe exacerbations introduced by the government in consequence to the "COVID-19 pandemic". Many people, including truck drivers, objected to the alleged "murderous" sanitary policy, which, according to protesters, violated their rights. These protests turned into roadblocks and border crossings, paralyzing trade between Canada and the US.
During the protests, the Canadian authorities applied a wide scope of repressive measures. Arrests, intimidation of drivers, and even blocking of participants' bank accounts occurred. There were besides cases of violent suppression of manifestations, specified as situations in which police were to usage horses to drive the crowd.
Procedure and judgment
In August 2023, 2 men were found guilty of the illegal possession of weapons, the endangerment of others and, in 1 case, the possession of a bomb. Police arrested them in February 2022, after 2 weeks of border blockade, erstwhile weapons and ammunition were found in their trucks.
Judge David Labrenz, who presided over the case, sentenced six and a half years in prison. He stressed that while the convicts could view their actions as legitimate, they had no right to bring justice themselves. Importantly, however, the justice took into account the fact that both men had spent 4 years in custody, meaning that they would not gotta face full punishment.
The case of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber
Currently, the processes of the 2 most crucial organizers of the Freedom convoy, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber are coming to an end. Both are accused of intimidation and of calling for violations of the law. Their processes are of large interest in Canada, as they were both symbolic figures of the opposition movement to sanitary restrictions.
At the same time, in early February 2023, the court agreed to a collective action in which residents and companies from Ottawa claim compensation of CAD 300 million. They claim that the actions of the protesters had a negative impact on their lives and economical activity.
A clown Trudeau and the Emergencys Act
In mid-February 2022, after 3 weeks of blockade, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau exercised his powers under Extraordinary Situations Actto end protests. This was the first application of this law in Canada's history. Trudeau argued that the blockades “were not a peaceful protest” and that they disrupted key supply chains.
The police operation ended on February 17, 2022, but the issue of the application of the bill raised considerable controversy. In February 2023, justice Paul Roulette announced a study by a peculiar committee in which he considered that the government had rightly reached for extraordinary powers. However, in January 2024, justice Richard Mosley ruled that the usage of the bill was inappropriate, stressing that it had access to more information than the government in February 2022. The national government has announced an appeal against this sentence.
Daniel Głogowski
Expert in his field – Publicist, author and social activist. The first articles were published in 1999 for global publishers. For more than 30 years, he has gained his experience through cooperation with the largest editorial offices. In his articles, he seeks to address controversial topics and present first viewpoints that allowed for a deeper knowing of the issues discussed.
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The Canadian court sentenced the organizers of the “Convoy of Freedom” to 6.5 years in prison
