B次元官网网址淔reedom ConvoyB次元官网网址� organizer Tamara Lich wasnB次元官网网址檛 part of any conspiracy to break the law when she helped organize a massive protest against pandemic restrictions in Ottawa, her lawyers argued in her criminal trial on Tuesday.

The Crown alleges Lich and fellow organizer Chris Barber, who owns a Saskatchewan trucking business, were in cahoots to block roads and disrupt locals in a bid to pressure the federal government to drop COVID-19 vaccine mandates in 2022.

The two are co-accused of mischief, intimidation and counselling others to break the law. If the CrownB次元官网网址檚 conspiracy argument holds up, the evidence against Barber would also apply to Lich.

They were both among a group of organizers behind the Freedom Convoy protest, which brought thousands of people to Ottawa for a three-week demonstration that ended only after a massive police operation.

The two rode to Ottawa together in BarberB次元官网网址檚 truck, which he affectionally calls B次元官网网址淏ig Red,B次元官网网址� and were part of the corporation set up to handle donations to the protest effort.

They posted videos with messages to fellow protesters regularly on social media throughout their journey to the capital and in the weeks that followed.

But the evidence before the court suggests Barber was far more present and vocal about what was happening on the streets of Ottawa, LichB次元官网网址檚 lawyer Eric Granger said in his final arguments Tuesday.

ThereB次元官网网址檚 also B次元官网网址渧ery little evidence of contact or interplay between the two of them,B次元官网网址� he said.

The other problem with the CrownB次元官网网址檚 theory, Granger said, is that the goal the pair was allegedly conspiring to achieve B次元官网网址� the lifting of government vaccine mandates and restrictions B次元官网网址� is not inherently illegal.

ItB次元官网网址檚 far more common for prosecutors to use the conspiracy allegation, known as a Carter application, in murder or drug trafficking cases where the goal itself is illegal, he said.

That means in this case, the Crown must prove that the means the two organizers used to achieve their goal was illegal, he said.

He argues thereB次元官网网址檚 little evidence linking Lich to any acts of mischief that played out during the protest, other than her encouraging people to come to Ottawa to protest.

The Crown has argued that Lich told protesters to B次元官网网址渉old the lineB次元官网网址� and to come to Ottawa after residents of the city were overwhelmed for weeks by the noise, smells, crowds and blocked streets.

In final arguments, the Crown said Lich B次元官网网址渃rossed the lineB次元官网网址� into illegal activity.

In court Tuesday, Justice Heather Perkins-McVey said the meaning of B次元官网网址渉old the lineB次元官网网址� can change from one situation to the next and it would be reasonable to think that, at least in some contexts, it means B次元官网网址渂e true to your values.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淎nd thatB次元官网网址檚 the difficult thing,B次元官网网址� Granger said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 simply not clear.B次元官网网址�

GrangerB次元官网网址檚 arguments are part of final submissions in a trial that began in September 2023. It was supposed to end the next month, but has dragged on far longer than expected.

LichB次元官网网址檚 legal team is scheduled to continue its final arguments on Friday.