‘Freedom Convoy’ leader says he just wants to go home after spending the night in jail
“My days of organizing are over,” Chris Barber said Friday when he was released on bail.
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“Freedom Convoy” leader Chris Barber says his “organizing days are over” and he just wants to go home to his farm in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, after he was arrested and jailed for mischief and obstructing the police.
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Barber, 46, spent a night in Ottawa’s notorious police cell block and was released on bail Friday night on the condition that he leave town within 24 hours and return home and never again support the demonstration.
Barber, a trucking company owner, agreed to bail conditions that he can no longer support the protest verbally, on television or online. Barber, who employs four other truckers, posted $100,000 bond to secure his bond.
His conditions require him to live at home until his case goes through the criminal justice system.
Although he is prohibited from supporting the protest, he is allowed to cover the cost of fuel for other truckers to travel west with him. He made the offer after hearing that the crowdfunding money was not in the hands of his fellow truckers.
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Barber’s trucking business does business in the Prairies and in the United States.
Barber is charged with mischief, counseling to commit the offense of disobeying a court order and counseling to commit the offense of obstructing the police.
If the case goes to trial, the Ottawa Crown Attorney’s office is expected to seek a jail term of more than two years for criminally “tormenting the city” and inciting protesters to break the law.
Defense attorney Diane Magas secured Barber’s bail. She noted that Barber could not be responsible for the actions of others, and when faced with the TikTok videos, the defense attorney questioned whether the online videos were filmed before or after the court injunction.
Ottawa Crown Attorney Moiz Karimjee said the impact of the protest was significant and called Detective Chris Benson to testify about it.
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Ultimately, the judge found that Barber – who has no criminal record – posed no serious threat to the public and granted bail to the convoy leader.
The judge said she learned nothing from the officer’s testimony that she hadn’t already read in the newspaper.
“I don’t know what else I’m supposed to learn here?” said Ontario Court Judge Julie Bourgeois during the bail hearing, which lasted several hours.
No publication ban was requested.
Barber must check in with Benson by phone as part of his bail conditions, and he is prohibited from communicating with the other convoy leaders.
Under Barber’s bail conditions, he is only allowed to return to Ottawa for meetings with his lawyer or for hearings.
He was ordered to have no contact – apart from legal action – with fellow organizers Tamara Lich, Daniel Bulford or Patrick King.
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Lich, another notable organizer of the protest, was also arrested on Thursday evening. His bail hearing is scheduled for Saturday morning.
Bulford and King were arrested on Friday.
READ MORE COVERAGE OF THE VACCINE MANDATE PROTEST IN DOWNTOWN OTTAWA
