Convoy protest organizers Tamara Lich, Chris Barber, Pat King arrested in Ottawa
Sara Frizzell, Shaamini Yogaretnam | CBC News | Posted: February 18, 2022 1:58 AM | Last Updated: February 18, 2022
All three said protesters will stay in the city until COVID-19 mandates are lifted
Three key organizers of the so-called Freedom Convoy, Tamara Lich, Chris Barber and Pat King, have been arrested in Ottawa.
Ottawa police took Lich and Barber into custody in separate arrests Thursday and both remained in police custody on Friday, which is when King was arrested as part of a larger police presence in downtown Ottawa.
Lich and Barber are each charged with counselling to commit mischief. Barber is also charged with counselling to disobey a court order and counselling to obstruct police.
The two have been described as key leaders of the occupation in Ottawa, which has now hit the three-week mark. Their arrests were among several made Thursday and Friday. Barber was seen a few blocks from Parliament Hill in handcuffs between two police officers.
Lich and Barber are scheduled to make their first court appearances in Ottawa on Friday.
King, who is from Alberta, is also expected to face criminal charges.
WATCH | Police make several arrests as they secure downtown Ottawa:
Lich confirmed to The Canadian Press earlier Thursday that she was there when Barber, a trucker from Saskatchewan, was arrested and led away.
Lich said she was resigned to the fact that she was going to jail, adding her personal bank account had been frozen.
WATCH | Protest organizer Tamara Lich speaks with reporters before her arrest:
They are two of the three protest organizers named in a proposed class-action lawsuit filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice by lawyer Paul Champ on behalf of his client, 21-year-old public servant Zexi Li.
The suit also names fellow convoy organizer Benjamin Dichter.
Earlier this month, Barber responded to criticism that the protest was negatively affecting Ottawa residents by saying organizers had "empathy" for local residents.
"We understand your frustration and genuinely wish there was another way for us to get our message across, but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians who have [preferred] to vilify and call us names rather than engage in respectful, serious dialogue," he said at the time.
WATCH | Convoy protest organizer arrested in Ottawa: