OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber have received 18-months house arrest after being convicted of “mischief.”

On October 7, Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey sentenced Freedom Convoy leaders Tamara Lich and Chris Barber to an 18-month conditional sentence in the community for their role in organizing and leading the 2022 Freedom Convoy, which protested COVID mandates.

“They came with the noblest of intent and did not advocate for violence,” Perkins-McVey said of Lich and Barber.

Barber was given an 18-month conditional sentence, with a concurrent three-month sentence for counseling disobedience of a court order, to be served in the community. Lich was given 18 months less time already spent in custody, amounting to 15 and a half months.

Both must remain in residence for the first 12 months except for medical emergencies, appointments, and employment but are permitted to leave for necessities for up to five hours once a week. They were also given a curfew and 100 hours community service.

Perkins-McVey rejected both the Crown’s proposal of seven and eight year sentences and the defense argument for absolute discharge, alleging that a discharge would “send the wrong message” and would “undermine confidence in the administration of justice.”

She noted that prosecutors argued the organizers “sustained and organized disruption of public order with significant consequences for residents, businesses, etc.” but added that Lich consistently emphasized that the protest must remain peaceful. Additionally, both made efforts to assist the police.

During the sentencing, Perkins-McVey acknowledged that both Lich and Barber had their bank accounts frozen for their participation in the protest.

In April, Lich and Barber were declared guilty of mischief for their roles as leaders of the 2022 protest and as social media influencers. The conviction came after a nearly two-year trial despite the non-violent nature of the popular movement.

The Lich and Barber trial concluded in September 2024, more than a year after it began. It was originally scheduled to last 16 days.

Lich and Barber were initially arrested on February 17, 2022, meaning their legal battle has lasted longer than three years.

The Crown is also seeking an order to seize Barber’s truck, which was used during the protest.

Despite the peaceful nature of the Freedom Convoy, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act to clear out protesters, an action a federal judge has since said was “not justified.” During the clear-out, an elderly lady was trampled by a police horse, and many who donated to the cause had their bank accounts frozen.

As reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, a federal audit did not mention the false claims the government made against the Freedom Convoy, which were used to allow then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to impose the Emergencies Act (EA) to clear out the protesters.

Indeed, in 2023, as reported by LifeSiteNews, disclosed records showed that Canada’s Department of Public Safety fabricated a security bulletin that claimed the Freedom Convoy protesters had plundered federal office buildings in an apparent attempt to discredit the movement.