Rounding out this week’s public hearings as half of the Public Order Emergency Commission was distinguished “Freedom Convoy” organizer Tamara Lich’s cross-examination, adopted by testimony from a pair of protest individuals.
Underway now could be the fee’s questioning of Diagolon’s Jeremy MacKenzie, and following him will likely be former RCMP officer Daniel Bulford, who assisted with safety for the “Freedom Convoy” and beforehand had been on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s safety element earlier than resigning over the forces’ vaccine mandate.
From Lich being accused of having a “selective” recollection on the subject of recalling the occasions that unfolded in Ottawa, to listening to about protesters’ experiences, listed below are the highlights from Friday’s hearings up to now.
LICH ACCUSED OF ‘SELECTIVE’ MEMORY
One notable change from Friday’s proceedings got here whereas Lich was underneath cross-examination by a lawyer representing the Ottawa Police Service. In displaying Lich a Feb. 16 police log that indicated officers had informed her to depart town and share that message with others, she was requested whether or not she recalled this communication.
Lich mentioned that she remembers being upset.
“I imagine I mentioned one thing to the impact of ‘I can not imagine that you just’re about to do that to your personal individuals,”‘ she mentioned.
Asked if she was crying as a result of it was over and police informed her to go away, she mentioned she did not recall police telling her that she wanted to go away. “It was urged,” she mentioned.
The Ottawa police lawyer then said: “It appears to me your recollection is selective after I take you to one thing that implicates you, you don’t have any recollection of it.”
Lich’s lawyer then popped as much as say that was “inflammatory,” and rapidly the road of questioning moved on.
Though, one other occasion the place Lich’s recollection was referred to as into query got here up whereas underneath questioning by a lawyer representing the residents of Ottawa.
Asking Lich about testimony indicating that she “clearly” would have adopted a courtroom injunction to go away, it was identified to her that when an injunction in opposition to horn honking was imposed, her authorized illustration appeared in courtroom to oppose it.
“You weren’t conscious that was the positon you have been taking?” the lawyer requested.
“I do not recall that. But when you say so,” Lich mentioned.
‘I WAS ALSO RECEIVING DEATH THREATS’
Under cross-examination by a lawyer representing the federal authorities, Lich was requested whether or not she was conscious of loss of life threats numerous political figures have been receiving throughout the protests, previous to listening to testimony to that impact.
Asked first if she was conscious that outgoing Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson obtained threats, Lich mentioned she did not know.
Asked if she was conscious former Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly obtained threats, she mentioned “no.”
“You did not know that Deputy Prime Minister Freeland had obtained…” mentioned the lawyer.
“I discovered of that the opposite day,” Lich mentioned.
“And the prime minister was receiving threats,” mentioned the lawyer.
“I did not know that. I used to be additionally receiving loss of life threats.”
ARRESTED PROTESTERS’ EXPERIENCES
Friday additionally noticed a pair of protesters—not organizers however two individuals who determined to come back and participate—supply the fee their expertise of being in Ottawa, and being arrested after the Emergencies Act was invoked.
First, this is how every described their expertise protesting.
Veteran Chris Deering: “It actually wasn’t that I needed to come back to Ottawa, is that I felt it was my responsibility and that I had no selection [but] to be there. Seeing what was occurring over the previous couple of years was troubling… During the protests… there was homeless individuals being showered with meals. I had learn that crime was down. It was probably the most superb expertise I’ve had in my life, and I do not regret going or being there one bit.”
Peterborough resident Maggie Hope Braun: “There was only a lot of vitality. I used to be seeing individuals from all totally different backgrounds and cultures, totally different outfits and you recognize, cultural outfits that I had by no means even seen earlier than in Canada… There was simply grown males crying and giving hugs in all places, and it was emotional, and we cried. We had spent a very long time feeling like we have been actually alone, and never having the ability to exit and actually not having the ability to even speak or share our expertise in our household gatherings… It felt like this was our household… The constructive masculine expertise, the best way that the boys have been behaving, they have been full gentlemens [sic] and you recognize, I felt not unsafe in any respect within the metropolis.”
Maggie Hope Braun and Chris Deering are seen throughout their testimony on the Public Order Emergency Commission, in Ottawa, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
And this is what they mentioned about being arrested.
Deering: “I gave myself to the police and because the police took me down and he kneed me in my facet, kicked me in my again. I used to be laying down…. I had my palms utterly up, I’m saying ‘I’m very peaceable. I’m peaceable. I’m not resisting.’ … My palms have been zip-tied. The officers slowly picked me up after which we slowly proceeded to the processing line… I used to be standing there within the chilly for 2 hours. I requested the policeman who was on each side of me I mentioned: ‘do you thoughts, you recognize my situation, is it okay if I sit or kneel as a result of I’m in continual ache?’ It was apparent, my face was flush and I cried a number of instances, and I do not cry ever. I used to be it was the worst ache…”
Braun: “There was a person who had the Charter, the Charter of Rights or, I suppose it was a bill of rights. It was a doc. They look the identical and so they each characterize human rights, and so I took three copies of that and there was three totally different police items it appeared… So I spoke to every unit, and I mentioned, ‘you might have been in a position to justify this up till this level, however when you maintain transferring ahead onto the individuals, as a result of we’re simply the individuals now that you’ve got the vehicles, you’ll be trampling our Charter of Rights together with your boots.’ And I put it down in entrance of each of them, and within the center of the road I knelt down in entrance of the Charter and I informed the cops that that in the event that they transfer ahead, I’m keen to not resist arrest and I will not transfer at that time. So that that was my line within the sand.”
More to come back…