Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich is scheduled to appear in an Ottawa court today for a bail hearing after she was arrested last week for allegedly violating one of her parole conditions. He was arrested in Medicine Hat, Alta., where he lives, on a Canada-wide arrest warrant sought by Ottawa police. Police took her to the capital and she appeared briefly before an Ottawa judge Thursday before remaining in custody over the weekend. Lich was a key figure in the mass protest that dominated the streets of the capital’s center for more than three weeks in February. She and fellow protest organizer Chris Barber are jointly charged with mischief, obstructing police, counseling others to commit mischief and intimidation. She was released on a long list of conditions, including a ban from all social media and an order not to endorse anything related to the ‘Freedom Agreement’. Police have not said which condition he is accused of violating. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 5, 2022. This story was produced with financial assistance from Meta and the Canadian Press News Fellowship.
title: “Tamara Lich Freedom Convoy Organizer Bail Hearing On Tuesday " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-20” author: “Tamela Reichmann”
The Crown is seeking to revoke bail for Freedom Convoy leader Tamara Lich after she appeared with a fellow organizer in alleged breach of her conditions. Lich was charged in February with disorderly conduct, obstructing police, counseling others to commit disorderly conduct and intimidation for her role in the mass protest against COVID-19 restrictions that gridlocked downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks. He was released the following month on a long list of conditions, including an order not to contact key organizers of the rally, including Tom Marazzo, and a ban on all social media except in the presence of a lawyer or counsel. Crown prosecutor Moiz Karimjee told an Ottawa court on Tuesday that Lich violated one of her conditions when she was seen with Marazzo at a recent gala where she received an award for organizing the protest. He argued that he should be taken into custody. Lich’s attorney, Lawrence Greenspon, said he will contest Lich’s bail revocation and seek her conditional release. Ottawa police Det. Chris Benson, who is the lead in Lich’s case, told the court he reviewed video of Lich and Marazzo appearing together at the awards gala. Greenspon asked Benson if he knew of any other evidence that Leach and Marazzo were communicating before or after the brief interaction on the video, which took place in “less than three seconds.” She asked the detective if he was aware that some attorneys from the Justice Center for Constitutional Liberties, some of whom act as her civil attorneys, were present. Benson said he believed a photo showing Lich, Marazzo and others posing together at the award ceremony showed she violated her terms because of her physical proximity to him. Lich attended the hearing remotely from an Ontario detention center, watching by video conference and listening on a cellphone, her blonde hair in a high bun. Both Marazzo and Lich were key spokespeople for the winter protest against COVID-19 and federal government restrictions. Marazzo is also the leader of a group called Veterans 4 Freedom, which held several rallies in Ottawa over the Canada Day weekend. Police sought a Canada-wide arrest warrant for Lich for allegedly violating her parole conditions, and she was arrested last week in Medicine Hat, Alta., where she lives. Benson said he oversaw Leach’s transfer from Alberta to Ottawa after her arrest. Lich is charged for her role in “Freedom Convoy” along with a co-defendant, Chris Barber, who remains free on bail. On Tuesday morning, Barber’s attorney obtained a publication ban on court documents showing Barber’s cellphone communications, except those with Leach. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 5, 2022. This story was produced with financial assistance from Meta and the Canadian Press News Fellowship.
