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One of the central organizers behind the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest that left Canada’s capital in deadlock for weeks in 2022 has been found guilty of mischief.
Pat King, 47, is the first leader of the protests to hear his verdict. Two others, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, will learn the outcome of their trials within the next six months.
A judge in an Ottawa courtroom on Friday found King guilty of five charges, including one count of mischief, advising others to commit mischief and advising others to obstruct police.
King, who had led a convoy of trucks in Ottawa in protest against Covid-19 measures and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, had pleaded not guilty.
King was also found guilty of two charges of disobeying a court order, but the judge found him not guilty of two other charges he faced: intimidation and obstructing police.
Estimates made prior to the trial suggested that King could receive up to ten years in prison.
Lawyers for King argued at his trial that he was part of a peaceful protest against public health restrictions and government mandates, and that police were responsible for escalating tensions during the demonstrations.
However, prosecutors argued that King was a key figure in a protest that had disrupted and harmed residents and workers in downtown Ottawa for weeks.
They detailed one instance in which King allegedly helped move 80 trucks to block a main street in the city, and another instance in which he allegedly instructed protesters to honk their horns every 30 minutes.
The Freedom Convoy organizers, including Ms Lich and Mr Barber, are also facing a C$300 million ($222 million; £175 million) civil lawsuit brought against them by Ottawa residents over the disruptions they caused in the city ​​have caused.
Prosecutors relied primarily on King’s own videos for their arguments, which he posted on social media during the demonstration to communicate with fellow protesters.
The February 2022 protests were initially sparked by a federal vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the U.S.-Canada border.
Convoys of some 400 heavy trucks and other vehicles descended on Ottawa, blocking the city’s streets around Parliament for three weeks.
City officials considered it a “profession”.
Separate protests also blocked a key US-Canada border crossing near Detroit, angering the White House and disrupting the flow of goods. Other border points in Alberta and Manitoba were blocked.
The protests gained international attention and inspired similar copycat demonstrations abroad.
They were stopped after Prime Minister Trudeau issued a never-before-used emergency law, allowing police to clear the streets and freeze protesters’ bank accounts.
King was arrested shortly afterwards on February 18 and released on bail five months later.
He was briefly ordered back behind bars this year after violating court-ordered rules on his use of social media.
King has been charged in a separate case with perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with testimony he gave at a bail hearing. Trial dates in this case have not yet been set.
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The truck drivers shut down the Canadian capital
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