Convoy leaders Lich, Barber to be sentenced for mischief from 2022 trucker protest

OTTAWA — “Freedom Convoy” leaders Tamara Lich and Chris Barber are expected to learn their sentences today nearly four years after the protest movement that blockaded downtown Ottawa for several weeks.

In April, both Lich and Barber were found guilty of mischief, while Barber was also found guilty of an additional offence of counselling others to commit mischief.

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The Crown asked for Lich to be sentenced to seven years in prison, and for Barber to be sentenced to eight years.

Crown prosecutor Siobhain Wetscher said during the July sentencing hearing she is seeking stiff sentences due to the broad community harm the convoy protest inflicted on Ottawa residents.

Defence attorneys for both Lich and Barber are seeking absolute discharges with no criminal records, arguing their clients have been punished enough by three and a half years of strict bail conditions.

Lich and Barber were leaders of the protest that drew thousands of people and hundreds of trucks to downtown Ottawa in early 2022 in an effort to get all COVID-19 public health measures lifted.

The protest led to the federal government using the Emergencies Act for the first time on Feb. 14, and a multi-day police operation was launched days later to clear Ottawa’s core.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2025.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press