'Freedom convoy' organizers Tamara Lich, Chris Barber will face trial in Sept. 2023

Tamara Lich, one of the organizers of the "Freedom Convoy," was granted a new bail hearing on Tuesday after an Ontario Superior Court justice ruled that an earlier order on July 8 for Lich's detainment was "clearly inappropriate." She was re-arrested after having contact with a fellow protest leader at an awards gala in Toronto last month. It was alleged she had violated her previous bail conditions.

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber — two of the main organizers of the so-called “Freedom Convoy — are expected to face trial in September 2023 for charges related to the massive demonstration that gridlocked downtown Ottawa earlier this year.

The convoy blocked roads with big rigs and other vehicles for three weeks as the city fell into what many officials have described a state of “lawlessness.”

Lich and Barber were both arrested the day before hundreds of police officers in tactical gear moved in to remove the demonstrators from the roads around Parliament Hill in February.

The pair have been co-accused of mischief, obstructing police, and counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation.

The trial is expected to start at the beginning of September next year and last about 16 days.

Lich and Barber have been released on bail with strict instructions not to communicate with each other or with other convoy organizers unless under the supervision of their lawyers.

© 2022 The Canadian Press

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