Canadian 'Freedom Convoy' protest leader found guilty

One of the primary individuals involved in Canada's trucker protests in 2022 was found guilty on Friday for his role in the obstruction.

Pat King was convicted on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order.

The self-proclaimed "Freedom Convoy" of truckers and protesters traveled to the capital city, Ottawa, in early 2022 to express their anger at government rules intended to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked emergency powers to dislodge the protesters after three weeks.

"Mr. King was not merely engaging in political speech," Justice Charles Hackland said. "Rather, he was inciting the protesters to continue their ongoing blockade of downtown Ottawa."

What charges was King convicted of?

A judge found King guilty on one count each of mischief, counseling others to commit mischief and counseling others to obstruct police. 

He was also found guilty on two counts of disobeying a court order and could now face a maximum of 10 years in prison. 

King was among hundreds of people who were arrested but was the first one to be convicted.

Acquitted of more serious charges, he smiled at his supporters in the courtroom as the judge read the verdict.

What were the protests about?

At times thousands of protestors were demonstrating against vaccine mandates for truckers and other precautions that Trudeau's Liberal government had implemented. They also blockaded the US-Canada border crossings in protest.

King shared multiple posts on social media in which he urged his almost 300,000 followers to rail against government overreach.

He allegedly coordinated the repeated periods of honking, telling the protesters to lay on the horn every 30 minutes for 10 minutes at a time, according to prosecutors.

"Hold the line," he said in video posts, appearing also to delight in the gridlock and misery of locals: "Pretty hilarious that people haven't been able to sleep for 10 days."

Two other organizers, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, have also faced separate criminal trials but verdicts for the pair are not expected until 2025.

km/zc (AP, AFP)