‘Freedom Convoy’ organizer Tamara Lich to remain in jail pending trial

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OTTAWA — “Freedom Convoy” organizer Tamara Lich was denied bail and can stay in custody after a justice of the peace dominated she breached a situation of her authentic launch.

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Lich is going through a number of fees of mischief and obstructing police for her position within the huge protest that gridlocked downtown Ottawa for greater than three weeks final winter.

She is now going through an extra cost of breaching a bail situation after sitting with fellow protest chief Tom Marazzo at an awards gala in Toronto final month.

Lich’s authentic bail ordered her to haven’t any contact with a number of different protest leaders, together with Marazzo, except via her lawyer or whereas within the presence of her lawyer.

Police sought a Canada-wide arrest warrant for Lich for the alleged breach of her situations and he or she was arrested final week in Medication Hat, Alta., the place she lives.

The onus was on Lich to show showing with Marazzo on the Toronto occasion didn’t breach the no-contact order. magistrate Paul Harris stated Friday that Lich didn’t show that.

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He has ordered her to stay in jail pending her trial, together with her subsequent court docket date set for July 14.

Her lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, stated exterior the courthouse he’ll convey an utility for a bail assessment to the Ontario Superior Court docket.

He stated she is “understandably upset” with the outcome and desperate to regain her freedom.

Greenspon had argued Lich didn’t violate the bail situation as a result of her legal professionals had been current on the gala the place she was seen with Marazzo.

“It’s completely ridiculous to suppose the intention of the court-ordered situation to not talk may very well be outmoded just by a lawyer’s presence,” Harris stated, who additionally famous Lich’s legal professionals supplied no proof to point out counsel was current.

Lich accepted an award on the occasion for organizing the convoy protest towards COVID-19 restrictions and the federal Liberal authorities.

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Greenspon additionally stated Lich and Marazzo solely had a quick interplay, which lasted “lower than three seconds.”

Whereas Harris famous that Lich was given permission to attend the award ceremony, that permission didn’t envision her sitting at a desk with Marazzo and posing for a photograph with him afterward. He referred to as her actions and attendance “problematic.”

“Such actions most actually erode public confidence within the administration of justice,” he stated.

In his Might ruling that Lich might stay out on bail, Ontario Superior Court docket Justice Kevin Phillips stated he didn’t settle for that Lich breached her launch situations by agreeing to obtain an award, and added Lich may very well be trusted to respect the situations of her launch.

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These phrases had been meant to forestall an analogous protest from taking place within the nationwide capital, stated Phillips, who famous the protest is over and has left Ottawa, and it will be “virtually inconceivable” to mount an analogous protest within the metropolis once more.

Each Lich and Marazzo had been key spokespeople of the winter convoy protest. Marazzo can also be a frontrunner of a bunch calling itself Veterans 4 Freedom, which staged a number of rallies in Ottawa over the Canada Day weekend.

Though the convoy has ended, “freedom protests” proceed within the capital and sure in different elements of the nation, Harris stated.

Harris pointed to textual content messages between Lich and Barber that point out she could have been a frontrunner and was a acknowledged decision-maker.

“Command Middle simply referred to as. Are you able to head over there with me quickly,” Lich wrote to Barber on Jan. 30.

“They’ve a method to gridlock town. I don’t wish to make these choices alone,” she wrote.

The messages had been obtained by Ottawa police and the Crown entered them as proof in Lich’s bail listening to this week.

Supporters gathered exterior the courthouse Friday waving Canadian flags. A number of of Lich’s supporters had been additionally within the courtroom as the choice was learn, with one girl overtly weeping because the bail was denied.