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. 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. 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. 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. She opposed Bill C-48 and Bill-69 that regulated the oil industry in Canada. 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. 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. The next day, she praised Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe for ending provincial COVID-19 restrictions. Activism and politics. Yellow vest  movement. Lich organized the yellow vest protests in Medicine Hat in 2019. 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. Western Canada secession-ism. Lich was a leader in the Wexit movement which later became the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta. Lich left Wildrose to join the Maverick Party as a member of its first governing council. In 2022, she was the secretary of the party's Western Canadian Governing Council. She resigned from Wildrose in 2022 to focus on her work on  the Canada convoy protest. Section::::"United We Roll". Lich was involved in the 2018 "United We Roll" protest convoy. COVID-19 pandemic. Lich was a primary organizer of the 2022 Canada convoy protest in Ottawa, as well as a spokesperson and an organizer of the fundraising of the protest. Lich spoke publicly about how she felt offended that the protesters were being portrayed in the media as racist and sexist. Lich has been outspoken against forms of extremism at the protests. Arrest and bail. Lich was arrested in Ottawa on February 17, 2022, accused of counselling to commit mischief. Justice Julie Bourgeois  denied her application for bail on February 22, 2022. 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. Her denial of bail was protested in Ottawa. 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. Additional conditions prohibit her  use of social media, and prohibit contact with other protests organizers. 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. 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. Family life. She has publicly claimed Métis heritage. She is a mother and a grandmother. Her daughter was born premature.