Tamara Lich

Tamara Lich is a Canadian Alberta-based activist who organized the yellow vest protests in Medicine Hat, Alberta in 2018 and 2019, and the 2022 Canada convoy protest in Ottawa. She was also an early leader in the Wexit movement, which later became the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta.

Tamara Lich
Born
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Known forPolitical activism, opposing COVID-19 public health rules
Political partyWildrose Independence Party of Alberta
Maverick Party

Lich was arrested in Ottawa on February 17, 2022 and denied bail on February 22, 2022. On March 7, 2022 that denial was overturned, and she was granted bail on the conditions that she remain off 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.

Early life

Lich was born and raised in Medicine Hat, Alberta, where she continues to live with her family.[1]

Career

Lich has worked as an administrator for the Medicine Hat STEP Energy Services, as a fitness instructor, and as a musician in the Alberta-based band Blind Monday.[2][3]

Views

Lich advocates against legislation that does not take regional differences into account. As an example she used in 2020, it is Lich's opinion that there are different needs for legislation on gun control in downtown Toronto in comparison to rural Alberta.[2] She opposed Bill C-48 and Bill-69 that regulated the oil industry in Canada.[2]

As a member of the Maverick Party, she advocated for a unified voice of people in western parts of Canada to push for constitutional reform as a first priority and secession as the second.[2]

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.[4] The next day, she praised Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe for ending provincial COVID-19 restrictions.[5]

Activism and politics

Yellow vest movement
Main article: Yellow vests movement (Canada)

Lich organized the yellow vest protests in Medicine Hat in 2019.[6] 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.[7]

Western Canada secession-ism

Lich was a leader in the Wexit movement which later became the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta.[2][8] Lich left Wildrose to join the Maverick Party as a member of its first governing council.[2][1] In 2022, she was the secretary of the party's Western Canadian Governing Council.[9]

She resigned from Wildrose in 2022 to focus on her work on the Canada convoy protest.[2]

United We Roll

Lich was involved in the 2018 United We Roll protest convoy.[2]

COVID-19 pandemic

Lich was a primary organizer of the 2022 Canada convoy protest in Ottawa,[10][4][11] as well as a spokesperson and an organizer of the fundraising of the protest.[2][12]

Lich spoke publicly about how she felt offended that the protesters were being portrayed in the media as racist and sexist.[10] Lich has been outspoken against forms of extremism at the protests.[13]

Arrest and bail

Lich was arrested in Ottawa on February 17, 2022, accused of counselling to commit mischief.[14][15] Justice Julie Bourgeois denied her application for bail on February 22, 2022.[16][1] Diane Magas, defense 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.[17] Her denial of bail was protested in Ottawa.[18]

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.[19] Additional conditions prohibit her use of social media, and prohibit contact with other protests organizers.[18]

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.[20]

On April 26, 2022, Calgary-based Justice Centre of Constitutional Freedoms (JCFF) announced that Lich will be awarded The George Jonas Freedom Award for her work during the Canada convoy protest. John Carpay, president of JCFF, said in a statement, "Ms. Lich inspired Canadians to exercise their Charter rights and freedoms by participating actively in the democratic process..", continuing on to say, "the peaceful protest in Ottawa awakened many Canadians to the injustice of Charter-violating lockdowns (sic) and mandatory vaccination policies." The award will be presented to Lich on June 16, 2022, in Toronto.[21]

Family life

She has publicly claimed Métis heritage.[2][10] She is a mother and a grandmother.[2] Her daughter was born premature.[3]

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. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  2. Crawford, Blair (February 4, 2022). "Who is Tamara Lich — the 'spark that lit the fire'". ottawacitizen. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  3. Lefebvre, Charles (January 20, 2019). "STEP Energy Services donates $22,571 to Ronald McDonald House". CHAT News Today. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  4. Freeze, Colin (February 3, 2022). "MPs call on GoFundMe staff to testify about efforts to screen out hate campaigns". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  5. "Ottawa convoy protest organizer praises Scott Moe's 'leadership'". Saskatoon. February 4, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  6. "Yellow Vest movement continues in southern Alberta". Calgary. December 22, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  7. chatnewstoday@socastdigital.com. "Following death-threats to Trudeau, Yellow-Vest Medicine Hat looks to change their name". CHAT News Today. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  8. McCuaig, Alex (November 10, 2019). "Warm Hat crowd greets Wexit Alberta leader". CHAT News Today. 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. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  10. Lefebvre, Charles (February 4, 2022). "Indigenous groups condemn truck protests and symbols". Winnipeg. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  11. Crawford, Blair (February 4, 2022). "Organizers of convoy protest: 'We have no intentions of staying one day longer than necessary'". ottawacitizen. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  12. McKeen, Alex (January 27, 2022). "'Freedom Rally' convoy has withdrawn $1 million from once-frozen viral fundraiser: GoFundMe". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  13. Zimonjic, Peter (January 25, 2022). "Organizer behind anti-vaccine mandate convoy says it won't tolerate extremists as online rhetoric heats up". CBC.
  14. 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. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  15. Amanda Coletta, Maite Fernández Simon, Ellen Francis and 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. Retrieved March 6, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Justice et faits divers-. "Ottawa convoy protest organizer Tamara Lich denied bail". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  17. Ballingall, Alex (March 2, 2022). "'Freedom Convoy' organizer Tamara Lich raises concerns about judge who denied her bail". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  18. "'Freedom Convoy' leader Tamara Lich released from custody". Ottawa. March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  19. Ballingall, Alex (March 7, 2022). "Tamara Lich, co-organizer of Ottawa protests, released on bail to await trial". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  20. Priscilla Ki Sun Hwang, Trevor Pritchard (March 24, 2022). "'Freedom Convoy' leaders face new criminal charges". CBC.
  21. "Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich to get award". torontosun. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
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