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Two key organizers of Ottawa trucker convoy face criminal trial

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Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber wait for the Public Order Emergency Commission to begin on Nov. 1, 2022 in Ottawa.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The criminal trial for two of the most prominent faces of the trucker-led protests that paralyzed the core of the country’s capital for more than three weeks early last year is set to begin Tuesday.

The demonstrations prompted one of the largest police responses in Canadian history and largely led to the invocation of the federal Emergencies Act. In addition to the protests in Ottawa, traffic was blocked at vital border crossings in other parts of the country.

Proceedings for Tamara Lich and Chris Barber will take place at the Ottawa Courthouse and are expected to run into October.

They face charges of mischief, obstructing police and intimidation of Parliament, as well as one charge of counselling for each of those three offences.

In a joint statement released ahead of the trial, lawyers for Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber said “we do not expect this to be the trial of the Freedom Convoy. The central issue will be whether the actions of two of the organizers of a peaceful protest should warrant criminal sanction,” the statement said.

Ms. Lich has worked primarily in the oil and gas sector and is based in Medicine Hat. She is a former member of the governing council of the separatist Maverick Party in Alberta. Mr. Barber is a commercial truck driver from Swift Current, Sask.

Separate from the criminal trial, Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber have also been named in a proposed $300-million class-action lawsuit. It calls for compensation after residents, businesses and workers in downtown Ottawa said they experienced “harms and losses” because of the protests.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), based in Calgary, said it is providing legal counsel for individuals named in the class-action lawsuit, including Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber.

Earlier this year, an organization called the Democracy Fund assumed fundraising responsibility for Ms. Lich’s legal bills for her criminal trial. Their website notes that Ms. Lich retained Lawrence Greenspon, one of Ottawa’s top lawyers, who is “accustomed to handling complex and serious cases” and “worth every penny.”

JCCF president John Carpay said the Justice Centre continues to receive donations for Mr. Barber’s defence and “other Canadians unjustly accused.”

In an interview on a YouTube channel last month, Mr. Barber said the criminal trial amounts to a “precedent-setting case” for anyone in Canada protesting.

The trial for Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber is expected to draw considerable attention, both from their supporters and those who vocalized dismay about the effects of the blockade of downtown Ottawa streets, including businesses that had to shutter their doors.

On Feb. 14, 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he would invoke the Emergencies Act in response to the protests. The move granted the government extraordinary powers, including the ability to allow banks to freeze personal and corporate bank accounts without court orders.

Mr. Trudeau described the act’s use at the time as a “last resort,” taken in response to prolonged and disruptive demonstrations against pandemic restrictions.

Under provisions of the Emergencies Act, the federal government was required to call a public inquiry. Justice Paul Rouleau, an Ontario Court of Appeal judge, was appointed its commissioner. Public hearings were held last year, beginning in October.

In February of this year, Justice Rouleau released a report stating that Mr. Trudeau’s invocation of the act in response to the protests was appropriate. However, he said in the report: “I do not come to this conclusion easily, as I do not consider the factual basis for it to be overwhelming.”

Justice Rouleau’s report also documented errors made by police and government officials.

Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber were arrested on Feb. 17, 2022, prior to a major police operation to clear streets in the core of the capital after big rigs remained parked for more than three weeks. The Ottawa Police Service had also called for protesters to leave the area. The City of Ottawa had issued a statement of emergency over the protests on Feb. 6.

Ms. Lich’s role in organizing the convoy included launching an online fundraising campaign through platform GoFundMe, where millions of dollars were collected for the protest. GoFundMe later cancelled the campaign and said it would refund all of the money to donors.

This summer, Ms. Lich held events as part of a book tour after the publication of Hold the Line: My Story from the Heart of the Freedom Convoy. “Hold the line” was a message that Ms. Lich relayed to other protesters and supporters during the protest in the event of her arrest.

Publication promotions describe Ms. Lich as the “woman at the heart of the trucker convoy” who is a “passionate organizer; loving mother and grandmother; proud Métis and proud Albertan; and defiant political prisoner, jailed for daring to criticize the government.”

In the book, Ms. Lich describes her experience during the convoy, including her arrest, and said the inquiry proved “we were a grassroots movement of real Canadians who simply wanted to come to the nation’s capital to be heard.”

 

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Harris and Lizzo praise Detroit – in contrast to Trump – ahead of an Atlanta rally with Usher

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DETROIT (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris appeared with Lizzo on Saturday in the singer’s hometown of Detroit, marking the beginning of in-person voting and lavishing the city with praise after Republican nominee Donald Trump recently disparaged it.

“All the best things were made in Detroit. Coney Dogs, Faygo and Lizzo,” the singer joked to a rally crowd, pointing to herself after listing off the meat-on-a-stick and soda that the city is famous for.

She said it was time to “put some respect on Detroit’s name” noting that the city had revolutionized the auto and music industries and adding that she’d already cast her ballot for Harris since voting early was “a power move.”

Heaps of praise for the Motor City came after Trump, the former president, insulted it during a recent campaign stop. And Harris continued the theme, saying of her campaign, “Like the people of Detroit, we have grit, we have excellence, we have history.”

Arms wide open as she took the stage, Harris let the crowd see she was wearing under her blazer a “Detroit vs. Everybody” T-shirt that the owner of the business that produces them gave her during a previous stop in the city earlier in the week. She also moved around the stage during her speech with a hand-held mic, not using a teleprompter.

More than 1 million Michigan residents have already voted by mail in the Nov. 5 election, and Harris predicted that Detroit turnout for early voting would be strong.

“Who is the capital of producing records?” Harris asked when imploring the crowd to set new highs for early voting tallies. “We are going to break some records here in Detroit today.”

She slammed Trump as unstable: “Somebody just needs to watch his rallies, if you’re not really sure how to vote.”

“We’re not going to get these 17 days back. On Election Day, we don’t want to have any regrets,” the vice president said.

Lizzo also told the crowd, “Mrs. Commander-in-Chief has a nice ring to it.”

“This is the swing state of all swing states, so every last vote here counts,” the singer said. Then, referencing her song of the same title, Lizzo added, “If you ask me if America is ready for its first woman president, I only have one thing to say: “It’s about damn time!”

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement that Harris needed Lizzo “to hide the fact that Michiganders were feeling good under President Trump – real wages were higher, prices were lower, and everyone was better off.”

Talona Johnson, a product manager from Rochester, Michigan, attended Harris rally and said that Harris “and her team are doing the things that are required to make sure that people are informed.”

“I believe she’s telling the truth. She’s trying to help the people,” said Johnson, who said she planned to vote for Harris and saw women’s rights as her top concern.

“I don’t necessarily agree with everything that she’s put out, but she’s better than the alternative,”

In comments to reporters prior to the rally, Harris said she was in Detroit “to thank all the folks for the work they are doing to help organize and register people to vote, and get them out to vote today. She also called Detroit “a great American city” with “a lot of hard-working folks that have grit and ambition and deserve to be respected.”

The vice president was asked about whether the Biden administration’s full-throated support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza might hurt her support in Michigan. Dearborn, near Detroit, is the largest city with an Arab majority in the nation.

“It has never been easy,” Harris said of Middle East policy. “But that doesn’t mean we give up.”

She will get more star power later Saturday when she holds a rally in Atlanta featuring another wildly popular singer, Usher.

Early voting is also underway in Georgia. More than 1.2 million ballots have been cast, either in person or by mail.

Democrats hope an expansive organizing effort will boost Harris against Trump in the campaign’s final weeks.

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Associated Press writers Matt Brown in Detroit and Will Weissert and Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed.

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Moe visiting Yorkton as Saskatchewan election campaign continues

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Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe is set to be on the road today as the provincial election campaign continues.

Moe is set to speak in the city of Yorkton about affordability measures this morning before travelling to the nearby village of Theodore for an event with the local Saskatchewan Party candidate.

NDP Leader Carla Beck doesn’t have any events scheduled, though several party candidates are to hold press conferences.

On Thursday, Moe promised a directive banning “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls” if re-elected.

The NDP said the Saskatchewan Party was punching down on vulnerable children.

Election day is Oct. 28.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Saskatchewan Party’s Moe pledges change room ban in schools; Beck calls it desperate

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REGINA – Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe is promising a directive banning “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls” if re-elected, a move the NDP’s Carla Beck says weaponizes vulnerable kids.

Moe made the pledge Thursday at a campaign stop in Regina. He said it was in response to a complaint that two biological males had changed for gym class with girls at a school in southeast Saskatchewan.

He said the ban would be his first order of business if he’s voted again as premier on Oct. 28.

It was not previously included in his party’s campaign platform document.

“I’ll be very clear, there will be a directive that would come from the minister of education that would say that biological boys will not be in the change room with biological girls,” Moe said.

He added school divisions should already have change room policies, but a provincial directive would ensure all have the rule in place.

Asked about the rights of gender-diverse youth, Moe said other children also have rights.

“What about the rights of all the other girls that are changing in that very change room? They have rights as well,” he said, followed by cheers and claps.

The complaint was made at a school with the Prairie Valley School Division. The division said in a statement it doesn’t comment on specific situations that could jeopardize student privacy and safety.

“We believe all students should have the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and welcoming learning environment,” it said.

“Our policies and procedures align with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.”

Asked about Moe’s proposal, Beck said it would make vulnerable kids more vulnerable.

Moe is desperate to stoke fear and division after having a bad night during Wednesday’s televised leaders’ debate, she said.

“Saskatchewan people, when we’re at our best, are people that come together and deliver results, not divisive, ugly politics like we’ve seen time and again from Scott Moe and the Sask. Party,” Beck said.

“If you see leaders holding so much power choosing to punch down on vulnerable kids, that tells you everything you need to know about them.”

Beck said voters have more pressing education issues on their minds, including the need for smaller classrooms, more teaching staff and increased supports for students.

People also want better health care and to be able to afford gas and groceries, she added.

“We don’t have to agree to understand Saskatchewan people deserve better,” Beck said.

The Saskatchewan Party government passed legislation last year that requires parents consent to children under 16 using different names or pronouns at school.

The law has faced backlash from some LGBTQ+ advocates, who argue it violates Charter rights and could cause teachers to out or misgender children.

Beck has said if elected her party would repeal that legislation.

Heather Kuttai, a former commissioner with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission who resigned last year in protest of the law, said Moe is trying to sway right-wing voters.

She said a change room directive would put more pressure on teachers who already don’t have enough educational support.

“It sounds like desperation to me,” she said.

“It sounds like Scott Moe is nervous about the election and is turning to homophobic and transphobic rhetoric to appeal to far-right voters.

“It’s divisive politics, which is a shame.”

She said she worries about the future of gender-affirming care in a province that once led in human rights.

“We’re the kind of people who dig each other out of snowbanks and not spew hatred about each other,” she said. “At least that’s what I want to still believe.”

Also Thursday, two former Saskatchewan Party government members announced they’re endorsing Beck — Mark Docherty, who retired last year and was a Speaker, and Glen Hart, who retired in 2020.

Ian Hanna, a speech writer and senior political adviser to former Saskatchewan Party premier Brad Wall, also endorsed Beck.

Earlier in the campaign, Beck received support from former Speaker Randy Weekes, who quit the Saskatchewan Party earlier this year after accusing caucus members of bullying.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

— With files from Aaron Sousa in Edmonton

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