'Freedom Convoy' lawyers attempt to block Ottawa residents from testifying at trial

The lawyers defending two of the most prominent organizers of the 'Freedom Convoy' protests are attempting to block nine Ottawa residents and business representatives from taking the stand.

The lawyers defending two of the most prominent organizers of the "Freedom Convoy" protests attempted to block eight local Ottawa witnesses from taking the stand Monday in a debate that underscores one of the central legal disputes in the trial.

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber are on trial for criminal charges related to their role in the demonstration, which blockaded Ottawa city streets for weeks last year as protesters railed against COVID-19 public health measures.

"This is not the trial of the Freedom Convoy," Lich's lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, told the court Monday, in a sentiment he's raised so often in the first week of trial that it has become all but a catchphrase for the defence team.

The Crown has an entirely different view of the case.

"This is ultimately a trial about what happened in this city" during the protest, and what role Lich and Barber played in that, Crown attorney Siobhain Wetscher said.

The Crown plans to call five Ottawa residents as witnesses in the case to describe what they saw and experienced during the convoy. That includes Zexi Li, who filed a class-action lawsuit against the organizers on behalf of people who live and work in downtown Ottawa.

If they're allowed to testify, the witnesses are expected to speak about the blocked streets, the constant sound of horns honking and truck engines running, the oppressive smell of exhaust, witnessing public urination and being unable leave their homes, the Crown said.