Category: Public Order Emergency Commission

Freedom Convoy Organizer Tamara Lich Spars With Counsels At Emergencies Act Inquiry

Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich faced cross-examination at the inquiry into the Emergencies Act on Friday and she pushed back on assertions brought by lawyers opposed to last winter’s trucker-led protest. Lich was asked by Government of Canada’s counsel Andrea Gonsalves whether she was aware that officials had received death threats around the time of…


Author of Controversial Freedom Convoy-Related MOU Testifies Before Emergencies Act Commission

The author of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that got attention around the Freedom Convoy last winter and was used by the Liberal government to claim protesters wanted to overthrow the government, testified before the Emergencies Act inquiry on Thursday. Trucker James Bauder spoke about the genesis and purpose of the MOU which he wrote…


Funding for Freedom Convoy Was Mostly Canadian, Shows Emergencies Act Commission Report

The Public Order Emergency Commission released a report Thursday examining the finances of the Freedom Convoy and it indicates that most of the fundraised money came from within Canada and that most of it never made it to protesters. In a presentation given on the report during the public hearing, a table showed the foreign…


‘I’m Kind of a Hot Head’: Convoy Organizer Pat King Testifies Before Emergencies Act Inquiry

Pat King, who was involved early on with the Freedom Convoy, testified on Wednesday before the Public Order Emergency Commission and had to defend his social media posts that referred to violence or were racist in nature. “I’m kind of a hot head,” King said while explaining why he made certain comments. Asked to address…


Truckers Felt Obligation to Stay in Ottawa Due to Popular Support, Needed Graceful Exit: Lawyer Keith Wilson

A lawyer who was on the ground in Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy to represent the main organizers and who was involved in negotiations with authorities says that truckers never intended to stay that long but did so due to popular support. “This is a very important point, and I don’t know that it’s come…


‘We Didn’t Occupy’ It, Says Leader of Quebec Group Blamed for Blocking Key Ottawa Intersection During Freedom Convoy

A spokesperson for the Quebec group Farfadaas testified before the Public Order Emergency Commission on Tuesday and disputed repeated claims heard in recent weeks that the group was blocking a key intersection in Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy protest of last winter. “We didn’t occupy Rideau and Sussex,” Steeve Charland told the commission a number…


Freedom Convoy Organizer Chris Barber Speaks of Power Struggles, Competing Visions Within Protest Movement

One of the initiators of the Freedom Convoy last winter said there were power struggles within the movement and while his main purpose was to have the vaccine mandate for truckers repealed, other organizers had other interests. “There’s different organizations that came and went … it was a power struggle a lot of the time,”…


Trudeau Advisor Worked to Frame Media ‘Narrative’ on Freedom Convoy Before Ottawa Arrival

An advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau worked with the public safety minister’s communications director to shape media coverage of the Freedom Convoy before it arrived in Ottawa, text messages reveal, saying they can employ a similar tactic of their messaging for the Jan. 6, 2020, riot at the U.S. Capitol Hill. “I think there…


Trudeau Adviser Worked to Frame Media ‘Narrative’ on Freedom Convoy Before Trucks Arrived in Ottawa

An adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau worked with the public safety minister’s communications director to shape media coverage of the Freedom Convoy before it arrived in Ottawa, text messages reveal, saying they could employ a similar tactic to messaging used for the Jan. 6, 2020, riot at the U.S. Capitol. “I think there could…


Politicians Should Be Personally Liable for the Harm They Cause

Commentary The inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act is generating plenty of interest and commentary, but one thing that I haven’t seen discussed yet is the implications that the commission’s findings may eventually have for further lawsuits or claims against the federal government, or against various individuals within the government, such as the…