Tamara Lich’s Legal Team Crowdfunding to Pay for Defence in Criminal Trial Over Convoy Charges

Tamara Lich, the grandmother from Alberta who became the face of the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa in early 2022, holds her new book, “Hold The Line: My story from the heart of the Freedom Convoy,” on April 26, 2023. (Courtesy of Tamara Lich)

The charity organizing Tamara Lich’s criminal defence has announced it is crowdfunding to help cover the legal costs of fighting charges stemming from Lich’s involvement in the truckers’ Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa in 2022.

Lich’s criminal defence is being financially supported by The Democracy Fund (TDF), a Canadian charity that litigates on constitutional issues. In a news release on June 28, TDF announced it would be crowdfunding for Lich who was charged with several minor, non-violent offences including mischief.

“Our crowdfunding goal and the cost of expert legal representation is $300,000,” TDF spokeswoman Jessica Swietoniowski told The Epoch Times.

Lich, a grandmother from Medicine Hat, Alberta, who police allege was a key organizer of a three-week protest in Ottawa that took place in January and February last year, told The Epoch Times that “murderers and rapists have shorter trials.”

“I am looking forward to this trial and to further expose the truth about how this was the largest, most peaceful protest in Canada’s history,” she said.

“All Canadians who lined the highways and assembled peacefully in Ottawa should be proud of their success in holding government accountable for their violations of millions of Canadians’ rights.”

49 Days in Jail

Alan Honner, TDF’s director of litigation, said Lich’s prosecution “shows how a prominent political dissident is treated by our justice system.”

“Many people see Tamara as a political prisoner as her prosecution has been impassioned, and she has already been imprisoned for 49 days on relatively minor charges. She is now facing a month-long trial, which is prohibitively expensive for the average person,” he said.

Honner said Lich became “the face” of the protest, and there is “a lot at stake in the outcome of her trial.”

“The trucker convoy exposed the government’s willingness to invoke extraordinary powers to suppress a nationwide protest that was remarkably peaceful,” he added.

Crowds of protesters demonstrate against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions during the Freedom Convoy protest in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 12, 2022. (Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times)

Lich has not been found guilty in court on any of the charges, which remain unproven. She was first arrested and charged on Feb. 17, 2022.

Lich is represented by prominent Ottawa criminal attorney Lawrence Greenspon. The trial is scheduled to run for four weeks, starting on Sept. 5. Lich is charged with various offences including mischief, counselling mischief, obstructing police, counselling to obstruct police, counselling intimidation, and intimidation by blocking and obstructing one or more highways, Greenspon told The Epoch Times on June 28.

Lich was under extensive and onerous bail conditions following her release, which included: “Keep the peace and be of good behavior; Ms. Lich is prohibited from communicating with other pro-freedom activists, using social media, organizing or aiding protests, and entering the downtown part of Ottawa unless for court.”

“The time for trial was set based on the anticipated list of witnesses that the crown intended to call, on a without prejudice basis,” said Greenspon.

He said it is the Crown’s prerogative to add to or subtract from the witness list at any time. So far, the Crown has indicated it wants to call nine witnesses. Greenspon said the final witness count is “still in the process of being discussed.”