Chris Barber and Tamara Lich, key organizers of the Canadian trucker "freedom convoy," have been arrested. They're each in custody and anticipated to face expenses because the convoy protest continues its third week.

Video of Barber's arrest, posted on Fb, confirmed officers checking his pockets and putting him at the back of a patrol automobile. Keith Wilson, Lich's lawyer, mentioned that Barber was arrested for alleged counseling to commit mischief, obstruction and counseling to commit obstruction, The Globe and Mail reported.

Lich's arrest was reported by the CBC. She mentioned she was current throughout Barber's arrest, and added that her checking account had been frozen by the federal government.

Lich's and Barber's arrest occurred in the identical week that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeauinvoked Canada's Emergencies Act to interrupt the trucker blockade of main commerce routes between the U.S. and Canada.

Trudeau mentioned the blockades had destabilized and hindered his nation's financial restoration. The act allowed native regulation enforcement and the federal authorities to focus on protesters legally and financially.

Chris Barber is a truck driver from Saskatchewan, based on CTV Information. He's energetic on the video-sharing app TikTok, the place he has posted protest video updates underneath his deal with @bigred19755.

"We'll observe any route of regulation enforcement," Barber mentioned on Tuesday, based on CKOM. "We have mentioned it proper from day one: In the event you're confronted by a police officer and the handcuffs come out, put your arms behind your again. Take it like a person. I've by no means been arrested by police. I've by no means had handcuffs on.…If that comes, I will be the primary man to get arrested."

In his previous statements, Barber has known as his authorities's COVID-19 vaccine mandates "tyranny at its most interesting" and in contrast them to insurance policies of North Korea's totalitarian authorities.

Chris Barber freedom trucker convoy organizer arrested
Chris Barber, an organizer of the Canadian trucker "freedom convoy," has been arrested and is in custody. Right here, truckers refuel their vehicles within the chilly in the course of the protest on February 5 in Ottawa, Canada.Minas Panagiotakis/Getty

Lich started the GoFundMe marketing campaign that raised over $10 million for the convoy earlier than crowdfunding web site shut it down. She moved the trouble to the platform GiveSendGo. There, it has raised practically $9.6 million. Nevertheless, hackers additionally infiltrated the positioning and launched the identities of the marketing campaign's donors. GiveSendGo has pledged to search out these accountable.

In a tearful video posted on February 16, Lich mentioned known as her eventual arrest "inevitable."

"I am okay with that," she mentioned within the video. "And I need you to know that I'm not afraid."

Barber was just lately named together with Lich and co-organizer Benjamin Dichter in a class-action lawsuit looking for to stop the protesting truckers from blasting their horns. The lawsuit claimed the loud horns may trigger everlasting listening to injury to residents of Ottawa, Canada's capital metropolis.

The liberty convoy initially started as a protest towards a vaccine mandate, instated in January, requiring all Canadian truckers who cross the U.S.-Canadian border to be absolutely vaccinated. Those that aren't vaccinated face a two-week quarantine once they return residence.

An estimated 90 % of Canada's truckers are absolutely vaccinated, and Trudeau known as the protesters a "small, fringe minority." Nevertheless, over time, the convoy grew to incorporate Canadians thinking about ending all COVID-19-related authorities mandates, together with re-opening all venues and ending college masks mandates.

The protest finally grew to dam three main U.S.-Canada border crossings and congested downtown Ottawa, threatening to clog provide chains for native properties and companies. Comparable rallies have risen within the Canadian cities of Toronto, Quebec Metropolis, Vancouver and Winnipeg.

On Thursday, Ottawa's Interim Police Chief Steve Bell informed reporters that police had established practically 100 checkpoints to stop extra protesters from becoming a member of the convoy. Police knowledgeable the remaining protesters that they might face authorized penalties if they continue to be within the downtown space.

"It will likely be a really totally different image of the downtown core this weekend than it has been from the earlier three weekends," Bell mentioned. "We wish folks to peacefully depart. However I can let you know that if they don't peacefully depart, we've got plans, methods and ways to have the ability to get them to go away."

Newsweek has contacted the Ottawa police for remark.

Replace (2/17/2022, 10:30 p.m.): This text has been up to date to incorporate details about Lich's arrest and the Ottawa police pressure's weekend plans.