Convoy trial hears organizer told police he wanted 'acknowledgement and action'

An Ottawa police officer who had direct contact with organizer Chris Barber testified Thursday in the criminal trial of him and Tamara Lich, the pair charged for their role in organizing what became the Freedom Convoy. 

Const. Nicole Bach was a member of the police liaison team that reached out to convoy participants and organizers before and during the convoy's time in Ottawa. 

Lich and Barber are each charged with mischief, counselling others to commit mischief, intimidation and obstructing police for their role in the weeks-long protest in January and February of 2022. 

Bach and Barber exchanged text messages before he arrived in the city. She testified early in the protest Barber helped police calm agitated truckers who wanted to park closer to Parliament Hill. 

During a Feb. 1 exchange, two days after the bulk of the protesters arrived, Barber raised the issue of lacking fuel for truckers and described how some of the truckers had babies with them.

She testified he suggested ways to help truckers refuel and indicated to Bach a process needed to be "streamlined" because the convoy was "not going away."

A day later she said Barber indicated he was trying to open up more space on Wellington Street to make the protest safer and offered suggestions on how to do so. She said he told her he felt the convoy was getting out of control and becoming unsafe, but he wanted to work with police to resolve those issues. 

Bach testified that on Feb. 8, after police and politicians had called for an end to the protest, Barber had ideas on how the convoy could progress.

Wanted PM to acknowledge convoy

He proposed moving trucks out of residential areas to staging locations while maintaining trucks on Wellington Street for optics. 

According to Bach, Barber suggested to her the convoy was not leaving anytime soon and he felt the protesters had not been acknowledged or heard, and they needed "acknowledgement and action." 

She said Barber indicated acknowledgement from the prime minister was needed and 3,000 trucks were ready to "move on a moment's notice to participate." 

Bach's evidence about Barber's comments regarding the prime minister may not be used as admissible evidence because his lawyers argue it isn't relevant. 

Bach is the second of three police liaison officers scheduled to testify in the trial, now on its 20th day.

She is one of only a few witnesses testifying who had direct dealings with one of the accused. Barber, wearing a blue and red plaid shirt with jeans, took notes on a pen and paper during her testimony. 

The Crown is trying to establish that Lich and Barber had "control and influence" over the crowds and encouraged others to join the protests while also fundraising. 

The defence argues protesters were assisted by police, including by being directed how and where to go in downtown Ottawa.

Const. Isabelle Cyr, another police liaison officer, told the court Wednesday how she raised concerns before the convoy's arrival that it would be difficult to control the protesters because there were different leaders and movements involved in it. 

Cyr and other officers sent traffic maps and directions to protesters telling them to go to key downtown arteries and intersections, including Wellington Street, Rideau Street, the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway and what was then known as the Sir John A. MacDonald Parkway.

"I know traffic officers were out instructing protesters where to go," she told the court.

Cyr also told the court it was difficult to know how many different convoys were coming to the city.