Ottawa, Canada — Freedom Convoy leaders Tamara Lich and Chris Barber have been given conditional sentences following their convictions for offences related to the 2022 trucker protests that paralyzed downtown Ottawa.
Both activists were found guilty of mischief, while Barber was also convicted of counselling others to disobey a court order. Several other charges were dismissed.
On Tuesday, the pair received 18-month conditional sentences:
12 months of house arrest with limited weekly outings,
followed by 6 months under a 10 p.m. curfew.
Lich received credit for 19 days spent in jail and 30 days in custody for a prior bail breach. Both Lich and Barber must complete 100 hours of community service.
Crown Sought Prison Terms
The sentences mark the end of a long legal process that followed the Freedom Convoy protests—a weeks-long demonstration against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions that shut down parts of Ottawa’s core in early 2022.
During sentencing hearings in July, Crown prosecutor Siobhain Wetscher urged the court to impose unusually heavy penalties: eight years for Barber and seven years for Lich, citing the protests’ widespread disruption and public impact.
Justice Heather Perkins-McVey opted instead for a conditional sentence, saying incarceration was unnecessary given time already served and the conditions imposed.
Background of the Case
The Freedom Convoy began as a protest against federal vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers but quickly grew into a broader movement opposing pandemic restrictions. Protesters parked trucks throughout Ottawa’s downtown for weeks, honking horns, blocking streets, and drawing nationwide attention.
The federal government invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history to clear the protests.
Lawyers for both defendants argued their clients acted in good faith and should not face jail time. Lich’s lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, said his client was motivated by principle, not malice.
“They stood up for thousands who believed their freedoms had been compromised by government mandates,” Greenspon said. “Tamara came to Ottawa with the best of intentions.”
Barber’s lawyer, Diane Magas, described the Crown’s call for an eight-year sentence as “abusive.”
Despite the polarizing nature of the protests, Tuesday’s ruling brings a degree of closure to one of Canada’s most controversial political movements in recent memory.
