Ottawa, Oct. 7, 2025 —Nearly three years after the Freedom Convoy brought Canada’s capital to a standstill, convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber have received sentences for the charge of mischief — a vague, catch-all offense increasingly used against peaceful dissenters who challenge government narratives.
Their lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, spoke to media outside the Elgin Street courthouse following the ruling, describing the outcome as “bittersweet”: while Lich avoided additional jail time, the conviction itself, he said, represents a serious blow to Canadians’ constitutional freedoms.
Background: A Protest Born from Mandates, Not Malice
The Freedom Convoy began not as an act of organized defiance but as a spontaneous uprising among long-haul truckers facing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal vaccine mandates. The movement quickly grew into a broad, peaceful protest drawing Canadians from every province — a cross-country demonstration of frustration with coercive pandemic restrictions and mandates to take untested experimental medical technology in order to continue to work.
Contrary to government portrayal, Lich and Barber did not conceive or incite the protest; they emerged only after the fact as key coordinators. Lich, who had experience in event logistics, helped maintain order, secure food and sanitation, and keep the focus on non-violence and lawful assembly. Yet while violent riots and politically approved demonstrations in recent years saw few if any charges, the Trudeau government directed extraordinary prosecutorial resources at these two individuals — emblematic of a double standard many Canadians now recognize.
Greenspon: “Freedom of Expression Has to Mean Something”
At the press conference, Greenspon emphasized that the defense’s principal victory was keeping Lich out of jail. “The main objective was to make sure she didn’t spend one more day in jail — and that was achieved,” he said. Still, he confirmed his team is seriously considering an appeal of the mischief conviction itself.
Greenspon described the case as a constitutional collision between property rights and fundamental freedoms. “In Canada, constitutionally protected freedom of speech, which encourages peaceful assembly, must prevail over the rights of property owners,” he said. “That’s the primary basis we’re considering for an appeal.”Lawrence Greenspon Oct 7 2025 R…
Asked about double standards in the enforcement of protest laws, Greenspon pointed out the “different way” peaceful convoy participants were treated compared to other demonstrations. “This case demonstrates the conflict between freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as contrasted with… the pro-Palestinian protests,” he said. “There’s definitely a different way those are being treated.”
He warned that if a peaceful organization itself can be criminalized, “I’m very concerned about the future of freedom of expression in this country.”
“Freedom Comes With a Price”
Greenspon acknowledged that residents and businesses in downtown Ottawa were inconvenienced during the three-week demonstration but stressed that such impacts are inherent to protest in a free society. “Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly do not come without some price,” he said. “In a contest between the two, peaceful assembly and freedom of expression should win every time.”
He reiterated that neither Lich nor Barber advocated violence. They admitted that the protest caused disruption but maintained their actions were lawful, moral, and proportionate to the government’s sweeping infringements on personal autonomy. “All she did,” Greenspon said of Lich, “was talk about peaceful assembly and encourage people to come to Ottawa to assemble peacefully and lawfully. That’s all she did.”Lawrence Greenspon Oct 7 2025 R…
Selective Justice
Several reporters noted that the judge’s decision referenced numerous protest cases but omitted examples from Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots that involved arson, looting, and assault. Greenspon replied that those violent cases “would have been no point to mention… they don’t apply here,” underlining how differently peaceful demonstrators are handled under Canada’s politicized justice system.
However, during the four-hour reading of the sentence and the reasoning behind it, the Judge did in fact mention the Coutts Bridge protest, which was violent, to make comparative sentencing parameters.
When pressed on whether Lich felt remorse, Greenspon was clear: “She pled not guilty. She’s been found guilty of mischief. We’re seriously looking at appealing that finding.” He added that Lich nonetheless expressed compassion for residents affected by the convoy, acknowledging their hardships while standing firm that her actions were justified in defense of freedom.
“Lives Were Changed by Her Example”
Greenspon said that Lich’s advocacy inspired thousands: “There were many people who were lifted up and given hope by what she did.” Asked whether she might even have saved lives by challenging destructive COVID-19 policies, he replied that she “may well have… many lives were changed as a result of her standing up on behalf of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of Canadians.”Lawrence Greenspon Oct 7 2025 R…
A Line in the Sand
As Greenspon concluded, his message was simple but profound:
Freedom of expression has to mean something when it encourages peaceful assembly… it must prevail over the right to enjoyment of property, which is nowhere to be found in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
In the shadow of Parliament Hill, where truckers once honked in defiance of authoritarian overreach, Canada’s battle over conscience and control continues — and for Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, the fight for freedom is far from over.
