Tamara Lich

Tamara Lich is a Canadian activist who has organised for the Canada convoy protest in Ottawa, the Maverick Party, and Yellow Vest protests in Canada. She is a musician and a former logistics worker.

Tamara Lich
Born
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
NationalityCanadian
Occupation(s)Administrator, musician
Known forCanada convoy protest leadership
Political partyWildrose Independence Party of Alberta
Maverick Party
SpouseDwayne Lich

Lich was among the organizers of yellow vest protests in Alberta in late 2018 and early 2019. Based in Alberta, Lich was also an early leader in the Western Canada secession Wexit movement, which later became the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta. In 2022, she was one of three organisers of the Canada convoy protests in Ottawa. She was arrested in Ottawa on February 17, 2022, and initially denied bail. Upon appeal she was released, then re-arrested and denied bail again. Another appeal in July 2022 led to her re-release.

Early life and career

Lich was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.[1][2] Lich has predominately worked in logistics in the energy field,[2] including as a base administrator for STEP Energy Services, and also as a fitness instructor. She is a guitarist and lead vocalist in the Alberta-based band Blind Monday.[3][4][5]

Activism and politics

Yellow vest movement

Lich was an organizer for yellow vest protests in Medicine Hat in late December 2018 and early 2019. Following death threats made towards Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Lich debated a name change for the group to distance their aims from those promoting violence.[6]

Western Canada secessionism

She opposed the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act and Bill-69 that regulated the oil industry in Canada.[3] Lich advocates against legislation that does not take regional differences into account. In 2020, she opined that there are different needs for legislation on gun control in downtown Toronto compared to rural Alberta.[3] As a leader[5] of the Maverick Party, she advocated for a unified voice of people in western Canada to push for constitutional reform as a first priority and secession as the second.[3] She resigned from the board of directors of the Maverick Party in early 2022.[5][7]

Maverick Party logo

Lich was a leader in the Wexit movement which later became the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta.[3][8] Lich left the Wildrose party to join the separatist Maverick Party where she served as a member of its first governing council.[3][1] In 2022, she was the secretary of the Maverick Party's Western Canadian Governing Council.[9]

Lich was involved in the 2018 United We Roll protest convoy.[3]

COVID-19 pandemic
Convoy protest, Ottawa, 2022

Speaking at a news conference on February 3, 2022, Lich called on all levels of government in Canada to put an end to COVID-19 public health measures.[10] The next day, she praised Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe for ending provincial COVID-19 restrictions.[11]

Lich was a primary organizer of the 2022 Canada convoy protest in Ottawa,[12][10][13] as well as a spokesperson and an organizer of the fundraising of the protest.[3][14] She led negotiations on behalf of the convoy movement with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.[15][16]

Lich spoke publicly about how she felt offended that the protesters were being portrayed in the media as racist and sexist.[12] Lich has been outspoken against forms of extremism at the protests.[17]

Arrest and trial

Lich was arrested in Ottawa on February 17, 2022, accused of counselling to commit mischief,[18][19] and held in the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre.[5] Justice Julie Bourgeois denied her application for bail on February 22, 2022.[20][1] Diane Magas, defence lawyer for Lich, expressed concern about the neutrality of Justice Bourgeois on the basis that she ran for a federal Liberal Party seat in 2011.[21] Her denial of bail was protested in Ottawa.[22] On March 7, 2022, the bail denial was overturned, and Lich was granted bail on the conditions that she refrain from use social media, and that she leave Ottawa within 24 hours and the province of Ontario within 72 hours, and to only return to the province for court-related reasons.[23] Additional conditions prohibit her use of social media, and prohibit contact with other protests organizers.[22]

On March 24, 2022, an additional six charges were laid against Lich: counselling mischief, mischief, counselling to obstruct police, obstructing police, counselling intimidation, and intimidation by blocking and obstructing one or more highways.[24]

On April 26, 2022, Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announced that Lich will be awarded The George Jonas Freedom Award for her work during the Canada convoy protest.[25] On June 27, 2022, Lich was re-arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta for allegedly breaching her bail conditions. Lich attended a Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms award ceremony on June 17 and met convoy organizer Tom Marazzo, with whom she had been ordered to have no contact.[26][27] On July 8, Lich's bail application was denied,[28] although that decision was overturned on July 26.[29] Lich's trial is scheduled for September 5, 2023, and is expected to last 16 days.[30] She is represented by lawyer Lawrence Greenspon.[31]

When Lich visited the spectator's gallery of the Alberta Legislature in late February 2023, she was applauded by sitting politicians, after she was introduced as "a grandma, a musician, and a true leader within the freedom movement" by independent politician Drew Barnes.[32]

In March 2023, government prosecutors were accused of malice after phone records between Chris Barber and Lich were briefly released online. Content included personal details and business communications unconnected to the convoy protest. Barber's legal team, with support from The Crown, secured a publication ban to protect both his and Lich's privacy. The Crown stated that the data release was an oversight. Barber's defence also briefly released the same records.[33]

Personal life

Lich lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta.[5] She is married to Dwayne Lich,[34] and is both a mother and a grandmother;[3] one of her daughters[5] was born premature.[4] One of her daughters works as a nurse.[5] She has publicly claimed Métis heritage.[3][12]

See also

References
  1. Kirkup, Kristy (March 2, 2022). "Ottawa convoy protest organizer Tamara Lich takes issue with political background of judge who denied her bail". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  2. Tamara Lich: Full testimony at Emergencies Act inquiry, CTV News, archived from the original on November 4, 2022, retrieved November 4, 2022 – via YouTube
  3. Crawford, Blair (February 4, 2022). "Who is Tamara Lich — the 'spark that lit the fire'". ottawacitizen. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  4. Lefebvre, Charles (January 20, 2019). "STEP Energy Services donates $22,571 to Ronald McDonald House". CHAT News Today. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  5. Kennedy-Glans, Donna (February 26, 2023). "Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich on what comes next: 'It's just going to get fun now'". National Post. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  6. "Following death-threats to Trudeau, Yellow-Vest Medicine Hat looks to change their name". CHAT News Today. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  7. Fisher, Max (February 7, 2022). "A Moment for Canada's Far Right, Still Struggling for Support". The New York Times.
  8. McCuaig, Alex (November 10, 2019). "Warm Hat crowd greets Wexit Alberta leader". CHAT News Today. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  9. Climenhaga, David J. (January 26, 2022). "Maverick Party trucking along with press secretary despite role in anti-vaccine mandate truck convoy protest". rabble.ca. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  10. Freeze, Colin (February 3, 2022). "MPs call on GoFundMe staff to testify about efforts to screen out hate campaigns". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  11. "Ottawa convoy protest organizer praises Scott Moe's 'leadership'". Saskatoon. February 4, 2022. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  12. Lefebvre, Charles (February 4, 2022). "Indigenous groups condemn truck protests and symbols". CTV News Winnipeg. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  13. Crawford, Blair (February 4, 2022). "Organizers of convoy protest: 'We have no intentions of staying one day longer than necessary'". ottawacitizen. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  14. McKeen, Alex (January 27, 2022). "'Freedom Rally' convoy has withdrawn $1 million from once-frozen viral fundraiser: GoFundMe". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  15. Clark, Campbell (August 12, 2022). "The convoy wasn't leaving town – but that's not the Emergencies Act question". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  16. Holder, Gord; Miller, Jacquie (January 27, 2023). "Where are they now? Fourteen public figures a year after the convoy protest". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  17. Zimonjic, Peter (January 25, 2022). "Organizer behind anti-vaccine mandate convoy says it won't tolerate extremists as online rhetoric heats up". CBC. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  18. Dickson, Janice; Walsh, Marieke; Carbert, Michelle; Fife, Robert (February 17, 2022). "Police arrest convoy organizers Tamara Lich, Chris Barber in Ottawa as protesters ignore orders to leave". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  19. Amanda Coletta; Maite Fernández Simon; Ellen Francis; Miriam Berger (February 17, 2022). "Ottawa arrests two 'Freedom Convoy' protest organizers as police chief vows to 'take back' city". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  20. ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Justice et faits divers- (February 22, 2022). "Ottawa convoy protest organizer Tamara Lich denied bail". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  21. Ballingall, Alex (March 2, 2022). "'Freedom Convoy' organizer Tamara Lich raises concerns about judge who denied her bail". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  22. "'Freedom Convoy' leader Tamara Lich released from custody". Ottawa. March 7, 2022. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  23. Ballingall, Alex (March 7, 2022). "Tamara Lich, co-organizer of Ottawa protests, released on bail to await trial". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  24. Priscilla Ki Sun Hwang, Trevor Pritchard (March 24, 2022). "'Freedom Convoy' leaders face new criminal charges". CBC. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  25. "Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich to get award". torontosun. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  26. Grant, Meghan (June 27, 2022). "Freedom convoy leader Tamara Lich arrested in Alberta, accused of breaching bail conditions". CBC News. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  27. Osman, Laura (July 26, 2022). "'Freedom Convoy' organizer Tamara Lich released on bail, again". CP24. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  28. "'Freedom Convoy' organizer Tamara Lich denied bail". CTV News. The Canadian Press. July 8, 2022. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  29. Osman, Laura (July 26, 2022). "'Freedom Convoy' organizer Tamara Lich freed on bail for second time". CTVNews. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  30. Osman, Laura (August 30, 2022). "Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber to face trial in September 2023". CityNews Ottawa. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  31. "Tamara Lich case not a trial of the 'Freedom Convoy,' says defence lawyer". CTVNews. July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  32. Melgar, Alejandro; Downton, Shipla (March 1, 2023). "Alberta legislature gives 'Freedom Convoy' organizer a hero's welcome". CityNews. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  33. Ballingall, Alex (March 8, 2023). "'Freedom Convoy' leader's phone records were released accidentally, Crown lawyer says". Toronto Star. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  34. Taekema, Dan (July 19, 2022). "Questions swirl about group that's set up 'embassy' at St. Brigid's in Lowertown". CBC. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
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