'How is this justice?' Poilievre, Conservative MPs show support for Freedom Convoy leaders ahead of sentencing

National Post

4 days ago

OTTAWA — Several Conservative MPs are criticizing the Crown's approach to prosecuting two key organizers of the Freedom Convoy protests, with the party's deputy leader calling it an act of 'political vengeance.'
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Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were convicted of mischief in April for their roles in organizing the demonstration, which blockaded streets around Parliament Hill for more than three weeks in early 2022.
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Barber was also convicted of counselling others to disobey a court order.
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A sentencing hearing for Barber and Lich is scheduled to take place in Ottawa on Wednesday.
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Lich has posted on social media that the Crown is seeking a sentence of seven years for her and eight years for Barber.
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She posted a screen shot of part of the Crown's submission to the judge, which called their actions 'the worst case of mischief' and argued that the right to political expression has never existed without limitations. The Canadian Press has not independently verified the screen shot.
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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre posted on X on Monday to question the Crown's approach.
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'Let's get this straight: while rampant violent offenders are released hours after their most recent charges and antisemitic rioters vandalize businesses, terrorize daycares and block traffic without consequences, the Crown wants seven years prison time for the charge of mischief for Lich and Barber,' he said.
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'How is this justice?'
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In her own social media post, deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman said that if 'the Crown suddenly wants to apply the law — equal application of law would be a good start — but this is political vengeance not actual justice and it's why trust in our institutions is dwindling.'
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Ontario Conservative MP Andrew Lawton called the proposed sentencing range 'excessive and vindictive.'
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'The Crown is seeking a seven-year sentence (eight for Chris) for a three-week peaceful protest almost three and a half years ago. All while violent offenders are given slaps on the wrist,' Lawton said.
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Saskatchewan MP Jeremy Patzer described the proposed sentence as '(seven to eight) years for holding the line and causing Justin Trudeau a political emergency.' He compared it to a case in which a man was given a conditional discharge for trying to buy sex from someone he believed was 15 years old.
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'It is pretty clear what the Liberals' priorities are. Conservatives are the only ones proposing to fix our laws so that the real criminals end up behind bars,' Patzer said.