organizer of “Freedom Convoy” Metis discussed using his relationship with identity to play the “race card” as part of an overall strategy to control his public image and gain sympathy for his cause, the text messages suggest.
message between tamara lecho And Chris BarberObtained by Ottawa police and recorded as evidence by the Crown at Licht’s bail hearing this week, it shows how aware the organizers were about the optics of the protest.
convoy connection to Pat KingWhich has spread racist conspiracy theories, as well as the presence of Nazi and Union flags in the early days of the protest, prompted accusations that it sympathized with white nationalist causes.
While planning the convoy, Licht and Barber became aware that its criticisms could raise racial identity. Lich describes himself as Metis, and on January 20, about a week before the protesters reached Ottawa, Barber wrote to Lich that his wife was also Metis.
“It’s going to work in our favor,” Licht replied. “Playing the race card works both ways.”
That same day, Licht congratulated Barber for his interview on the podcast, describing it as “PC” — or politically correct — “but also direct.”
On January 22, Barber told Licht that all his years of “social media trolling” were going to pay off. Referring to those who criticized the convoy, he said, “I will turn around and use it against them.”
Protests against COVID-19 restrictions and the Liberal government led to large trucks blocking roads and loud horns in the capital city for more than three weeks. Protesters also blocked several border crossings. This prompted the federal government to enact the Emergency Situations Act and prompted the police to use force to clear the crowd.
For their role in the protest, Lich and Barber have been charged with mischief, obstructing the police, causing mischief and intimidating others.
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Barber remains out on bail, while a justice of the peace ruled Friday that Lich had breached the condition of his release and canceled his bail.
During a hearing on Licht’s bail this week, Barber’s attorney was granted a publication ban on court documents showing his cellphone communications, except for people with Licht.
Barber’s attorney, Diane Magus, said Crown’s submissions could lack the full context or intent of the messages, and could be misleading or misinterpreted.
The 4,000-page document, filed in court, said it contained all the messages – tens of thousands – found on the barber’s phone. Dozens are directly between Barber and Lich, not including group chats.
Licht’s attorney, Lawrence Greenspawn, declined to comment on the out-of-court messages on Friday.
The conversation between the pair seems to highlight their changing feelings about Raja. He is known for promoting the white nationalist “Great Substitution Theory”, based on the concern that white people are being replaced.
King remains in Ottawa prison on charges of mischief, intimidation, obstructing police, disobeying court orders, giving perjury, and obstructing justice.
His lawyer has yet to respond to requests for comment.
On 22 January, Licht told Barber that he needed to have “a very frank discussion” with King, raising concerns about previous charges against him.
Despite these concerns, Licht also stated that he needed movement – apparently in contrast to later statements in which the convoy tried to distance himself from the king.
“We need him and I don’t care about his past, but it only takes one,” she said. “We have to control their rhetoric,” he said. Didn’t even threaten to throw snowballs at Parliament.
“I know he has issues. I’ve got skeletons in the closet,” replied the barber.
But a few days later, on January 26, Licht said that if King “doesn’t stop now and right now he needs to go home.”
“Honestly I hate to do that. I believe he has a part of his heart in it for the right reasons but he will bring this whole thing down.”
On 29 January, the day after the convoy had arrived in the capital, Barber sent a message to Lich about an interview the king had done.
“I worry he’s putting us in a bad light. Does he have to speak today? I’m nervous about what he’s about to say,” he said.
“No. He’s not speaking. Period. We have people who will take care of him,” Licht said.
On 30 January a text message from Lich to Barber stated that he had received a call from the “Command Center” with a “strategy to gridlock the city”.
“Can you go there with me soon,” she asked the barber. “I don’t want to make those decisions on my own.”
During this period, some Conservative lawmakers cheered the convoy’s arrival, as the party opposed the Trudeau government’s vaccine mandate for federal workers and travelers.
On January 31, Tory MP Marilyn Gladu posted a photo of herself and caucus aide Candice Bergen on social media, with two men with Gladu being described as “hardworking truckers in Ottawa”.
Erin O’Toole’s reluctance to give a clear position on the protest was one of the reasons most of the caucuses removed her on 2 February and replaced her with Bergen as interim leader.
A few days later, Licht wrote, “Candace Bergen (sic) wants to meet soon. What do you think?”
The barber did not directly answer the question. The next day, Licht expressed his enthusiasm for appearing on an American media outlet.
“We should be on Fox at 6:30,” she wrote.
Poilievre leads a march of convoy protesters next to a man with right-wing extremist ties
Bergen spokesman Christopher Martin-Chan said ultimately no meeting between the convoy representatives and the interim leader took place.
Conservative MP Glenn Motz was speaking with Licht and was set to act as a liaison for lawmakers to voice their concerns. He suggested meeting with Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and Transport Minister Omar Alghabara, Martin-Chan said.
Motz confirmed that he spoke directly with Licht “in an effort to resolve the ongoing opposition”, and sought to facilitate meetings with ministers.
“Unfortunately, after several talks with both ministers, he declined any resolution meeting with the protest organizer,” he said, adding that he believed that if the Liberal government had taken that meeting, the protests would have taken place. would have been solved differently.
Alghabara’s office said in a statement that it was “not appropriate or responsible for Canadians to meet individuals blocking our borders, harming our economy and terrorizing the residents of the City of Ottawa.”
A spokesperson for Mendicino echoed those sentiments.
After the ministers refused to meet, Motz said he tried to set up a meeting between Licht and Bergen, which was rejected by Licht’s legal team because “the resolution would only be beneficial if it involved the government.”
Ottawa police, with the help of police forces from across Canada, pulled protesters out of the capital in a massive operation that began on February 18.
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