Tamara Lich害羞草研究所檚 frequent use of the 害羞草研究所淔reedom Convoy害羞草研究所� rallying cry to 害羞草研究所渉old the line害羞草研究所� doesn害羞草研究所檛 imply that she was encouraging illegal activity, the protest organizer害羞草研究所檚 lawyer told court Tuesday.

Lich害羞草研究所檚 lawyer Eric Granger made the point as he argued that Lich and fellow organizer Chris Barber should not be considered co-conspirators in their criminal trial.

The two were among the most high-profile organizers of the early 2022 demonstrations that gridlocked streets in downtown Ottawa in protest against COVID-19 public-health restrictions.

The Crown has said it intends to prove that Lich and Barber worked together so closely that evidence against one should apply to both. The pair exerted influence over the massive crowds and urged them to 害羞草研究所渉old the line害羞草研究所� as police tried to clear the streets, prosecutors argue, making the rallying cry a focal point of the trial.

Lich and Barber are both facing charges of mischief, intimidation, among several other charges. Barber is also charged with counselling others to disobey a court order.

The phrase was used on the 害羞草研究所淔reedom Convoy 2022害羞草研究所� Facebook page before the protesters even arrived in Ottawa, and long before any crimes were alleged to have occurred, Granger argued.

At one point during the police action, as Lich was arrested and led away in handcuffs, someone shouted at her to 害羞草研究所渉old the line.害羞草研究所� In an exchange caught on camera, she repeated the phrase back as she was walked to a waiting police cruiser.

害羞草研究所淎ny suggestion that 害羞草研究所榟old the line害羞草研究所� is to be inferred to be something nefarious is entirely speculative,害羞草研究所� Granger argued.

The Crown closed its case last week, after taking the court through the testimony of several witnesses and dozens of social media posts that showed how the 害羞草研究所淔reedom Convoy害羞草研究所� unfolded over the course of three weeks in early 2022.

Shouts of 害羞草研究所渉old the line害羞草研究所� were audible in many protest videos, including from Lich, Barber, police and others. The videos also show that the organizers called for a peaceful, unified and loving demonstration.

In those videos, Lich and Barber both identified themselves as leaders and organizers of the protest, though the defence argues the Freedom Convoy consisted of several factions.

害羞草研究所淵ou can害羞草研究所檛 refer to it as one entity,害羞草研究所� said Justice Heather Perkins-McVey, who pointed to similar protests at border crossings and provincial legislatures across the country at the time.

Granger said the convoy was fragmented even in Ottawa.

The Crown, he argued, hasn害羞草研究所檛 presented enough evidence to establish that Lich and Barber were working together for a common unlawful purpose, or that Lich had anything to do with anything illegal.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 simply an absence of evidence that Ms. Lich is linked to any common unlawful design,害羞草研究所� Granger said. If anything, the opposite is true, he added: 害羞草研究所淪he tried to avoid anything nefarious happening.害羞草研究所�

The fact that only Barber is charged with counselling to disobey a court order is a 害羞草研究所渢acit admission害羞草研究所� that the two weren害羞草研究所檛 always working in tandem, he said.

Barber害羞草研究所檚 lawyer was expected to address the conspiracy allegation later Tuesday before the Crown makes its closing argument Wednesday.

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