Canada trucker protest organizers found guilty of mischief

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Two of the organizers of Canada’s trucker protests against COVID-19 restrictions in 2022 have been found guilty of mischief for their roles in the mass protest in Ottawa, a judge ruled Thursday.

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were key figures and organizers in the massive protest that saw hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people occupy downtown Ottawa and insist they would stay until COVID-19 public health mandates were eliminated.

The February 2022 protests, dubbed the Freedom Convoy, were sparked by a Canadian government vaccine mandate for truck drivers crossing the U.S.-Canada border.

Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of protesters clogged the streets of the capital, Ottawa, and besieged Parliament Hill for three weeks in early 2022, demonstrating against vaccine mandates for truckers and other precautions and condemning then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.

In finding the two guilty of mischief, Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey said the evidence shows that the two routinely encouraged people to join or remain at the protest, despite knowing the adverse effect it was having on downtown residents and businesses.

The defense argued that Lich and Barber called for a peaceful protest and blamed any disorder on police and city officials.

Perkins-McVey found Lich and Barber not guilty of intimidation, counselling someone to commit intimidation, obstructing police and counselling someone to obstruct police.

Barber also was found guilty of counselling to disobey a court order for telling people to ignore an injunction issued by a judge directing convoy participants to stop honking their truck horns in downtown Ottawa.

The truckers’ convoy gridlocked downtown streets around Parliament Hill, with area residents complaining about the fumes from diesel engines running non-stop, and unrelenting noise from constant honking of horns and music from parties.

Truckers also blockaded U.S.-Canada border crossings in protest.

Trudeau’s government ultimately invoked the Emergencies Act to try and bring an end to the protests. Ottawa Police brought in hundreds of officers from forces across Canada.

The Freedom Convoy shook Canada’s reputation for civility, inspired convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands and interrupted economic trade.

For almost a week the busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit was blocked. It carries more than 25% of trade between the countries, who are each other’s largest trading partners.

FILE - Police stand in an area as they take action to put an end to a protest in Ottawa, Feb. 19, 2022. (Justin Tang /The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Tamara Lich smiles towards supporters as she leaves the courthouse in Ottawa, Ontario, after the verdict was delivered in her trial with fellow Freedom Convoy organizer, Chris Barber, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tamara Lich leaves the courthouse in Ottawa, Ontario, after the verdict was delivered in her trial with fellow Freedom Convoy organizer, Chris Barber, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

FILE - Police hang off a truck as authorities work to end a protest against COVID-19 measures in Ottawa, Feb. 19, 2022. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP, FIle)

A supporter greets Chris Barber as he leaves the courthouse in Ottawa, Ontario, after the verdict was delivered in his trial with fellow Freedom Convoy organizer, Tamara Lich, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Chris Barber, center, leaves the courthouse in Ottawa, Ontario, with his lawyer Diane Magas, left, after the verdict was delivered in his trial with fellow Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich, not pictured, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tamara Lich leaves the courthouse in Ottawa, Ontario, after the verdict was delivered in her trial with fellow Freedom Convoy organizer Chris Barber, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tamara Lich leaves the courthouse in Ottawa, Ontario, after the verdict was delivered in her trial with fellow Freedom Convoy organizer Chris Barber, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

DENVER (AP) — Obi Toppin scored 22 points in his second start of the season and the Indiana Pacers overcame the absence of Pascal Siakam to hand the reeling Denver Nuggets their fourth consecutive loss Sunday, 125-120.

Myles Turner's 24 points led the Pacers, who overcame a 13-point first-half deficit and an off-night by Tyrese Haliburton, whose nine points on eight shots were less than half his scoring average.

The Nuggets lost their fourth straight despite Nikola Jokic's 41 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists and a career-high 30 points from Christian Braun.

Jokic was charged with a crucial backcourt turnover with the Nuggets trailing 122-120 with 15 seconds remaining but it was Braun who misread the dribble-handoff from Jokic and caused the turnover just as Jokic was passing to Russell Westbrook.

Jamal Murray missed his fifth consecutive game for Denver with a strained right hamstring and coach Michael Malone said “hopefully” his star point guard will be back for the start of the NBA playoffs.

The Pacers were without Siakam (right elbow) and trailed by 13 in the first half. Haliburton came in averaging 18.6 points per game but was held scoreless until his 3-pointer with 3:43 left in the third quarter tied it at 84-all, and his floater gave Indiana a 98-97 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Nuggets entered Sunday in fourth place in the bunched-up Western Conference, just a game ahead of the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies.

Pacers: Indiana showed it can win without Siakam and that depth should prove beneficial in the playoffs. The Pacers are solidly in the fourth place in the East.

Nuggets: Denver is falling fast. The Nuggets were in second place not that long ago and now could be facing a play-in game just to make it into the playoffs.

Jokic's bad pass to Westbrook in the closing seconds was the Nuggets' third turnover in the final 2 minutes and sixth of the fourth quarter.

Malone successfully challenged two foul calls on Denver in the first half, one on Jokic and the other on Christian Braun.

The Pacers return home to play the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. The Nuggets visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, left, collects the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., right, defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, front, drives to the basket past Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., front, drives past Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, center, holds onto the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and guard Jalen Pickett, right, defend in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, left, tries to steal the ball from Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., left, shoots for a basket as Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin, right, defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, drives past Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)