The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that the Ontario Court of Justice has handed Saskatchewan trucker and peaceful Freedom Convoy protester Chris Barber an 18-month conditional sentence and 100 hours of community service. 

The sentence will be served in his community. The Crown sought an extraordinarily harsh eight-year prison sentence for Mr. Barber, despite his entirely peaceful participation in the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa.

In today’s sentencing hearing, Justice Perkins-McVey stated that Mr. Barber “came with the noblest of intent and did not advocate for violence.” 

Justice Perkins-McVey went on to emphasize the peaceful nature of the 2022 Freedom Convoy, describing it as a “non-violent protest, no property damage, no intent to harm critical infrastructure.” She noted that Mr. Barber moved his own truck and encouraged others to do the same, consistently promoting peaceful cooperation  with law enforcement. “The Court recognized Mr. Barber’s peaceful conduct and cooperation with police throughout the Freedom Convoy,” stated constitutional lawyer Diane Magas.  

Under the terms of the conditional sentence, Mr. Barber must remain on his property during the first 12 months of his sentence except for employment or travel related to legal, medical, or dental appointments, or religious services.  

The Justice Centre has funded the legal defence of Mr. Barber since 2022, maintaining that he peacefully exercised his Charter freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly when he joined thousands of Canadians in Ottawa to protest government-imposed vaccine mandates. 

Justice Centre President, John Carpay, reflected on the verdict with concern: “Chris Barber and Tamara Lich should not have been convicted of criminal mischief in the first place. Not only was their cause noble, calling upon Ottawa to recognize the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Canadians during this country’s darkest chapter, but Chris and Tamara pursued their cause in a peaceful, cooperative, and respectful manner.” 

“Rarely are protests of that magnitude so peaceful. And yet today, after undergoing the longest mischief trial in the history of Canada, with predictable negative impacts on their health, finances, and families, Justice Heather Perkins-McVey still chose to hand Chris an 18-month conditional sentence, to be served in his community, 100 hours of community service, and a curfew order,” he added. 

“Fortunately, Justice Perkins-McVey did not accept the absurd recommendation of Crown Prosecutors to jail Chris for eight years and to jail Tamara for seven years. However, this sentence still goes too far, sending a chilling message to Canadians who freely exercise their Charter freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly.” 

“I thank every Canadian who stood with us in defence of Chris Barber and Tamara Lich these many years. Today’s outcome would certainly have been worse if generous donors had not provided these brave Canadians with the best possible legal defence.”

Ms. Magas continues to represent Mr. Barber in a separate proceeding opposing the Crown’s attempt to seize his 2004 Kenworth truck, “Big Red,” which remains the Barber family’s primary source of income. 

Those wishing to help cover the cost of Mr. Barber’s legal defence are encouraged to make a tax-deductible donation at www.jccf.ca.

From LifeSiteNews

By Andreas Wailzer

Senior intelligence officers warned the Biden administration that putting individuals on the list for resisting mask mandates “is clearly unrelated to transportation security,” and that “TSA is punishing people for the expression of their ideas when they haven’t been charged, let alone convicted of incitement or sedition.”

The Biden administration placed some Americans who resisted mask mandates on a no-fly list typically reserved for suspected terrorists, an investigation has revealed.

As Fox News reported, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have uncovered that the Biden administration placed some Americans who had resisted mask mandates on a no-fly list, in addition to some individuals who were present at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Joe Biden’s TSA initiated “Operation Freedom to Breathe” in September 2021, even though the CDC had already relaxed its mask mandate six months prior. The operation placed 19 Americans on watchlists with various levels of restriction, with more than half being added to a no-fly list usually reserved for suspected terrorists.

Eleven of those individuals remained on the watchlists until the nationwide mask mandate, issued by the Biden administration, was lifted in April 2022.

“Biden’s TSA Administrator [David] Pekoske and his cronies abused their authority and weaponized the federal government against the very people they were charged with protecting,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in comments given to Fox News Digital.

“Biden’s TSA wildly abused their authority, targeting Americans who posed no aviation security risk under the banner of political differences,” she added. “President Trump promised to end the weaponization of government against the American people, and we are making good on that promise.”

The investigation by the agencies also revealed that the TSA, under Biden, placed about 280 individuals allegedly involved in the Capitol protests on January 6 on watchlists. Five of these individuals were put on the highest severity no-fly list.

Fox News Digital cites internal documents that show senior intelligence officers warned the Biden administration that putting individuals on the list for resisting mask mandates “is clearly unrelated to transportation security,” and that “TSA is punishing people for the expression of their ideas when they haven’t been charged, let alone convicted of incitement or sedition.”

One TSA intelligence officer expressed concern about placing individuals on watchlists who had been arrested at the Capitol on January 6. He said most people who were arrested “are technically curfew breakers,” and that “I hope we don’t end up adding them [to a watchlist] on just the arrest.”

The internal emails reveal that the TSA primarily relied on the George Washington University Program of Extremism academic database and social media to determine who would be placed on the watchlists, rather than the FBI or local police.

The investigation also revealed that some individuals were placed on no-fly lists despite not being present at the Capitol on January 6, due to bad intelligence from the FBI under Biden.

Noem said that the DHS will be “referring this case to the Department of Justice and for Congressional investigation.”