Chris Barber Interview - August 2025 - Crown asks for 8 Years in Prison!

I wanted to follow-up this week on the subject of Chris Barber, who was recently convicted alongside Tamara Lich, and who will be sentenced in October for similar "crimes".

Chris Barber was one of the courageous leaders of the Freedom Convoy and was found guilty of 2 criminal charges relating to his activities at the Freedom Convoy in early 2022. He has not yet been sentenced, but the Crown is asking for an outrageous 8 years in prison. Chris is a Canadian Trucker from Saskatchewan, and his truck Big Red, seen in the photo below was an iconic part of the Convoy in Ottawa.

Further to this, Chris tells me the prosecutor wants to seize and auction off his truck - Big Red. Chris is fighting to make sure this outrageous action doesn't succeed, and he needs your help to do so. He says they want to destroy anything that symbolizes the Freedom Convoy.

Mischief is a common, minor criminal offence, the kind of thing a teenager who spray paints an alley wall might get. Notwithstanding this, the Crown is seeking 8 years in prison - for Chris - slightly longer than the 7 years they want for Tamara Lich, as Chris was convicted of not only mischief, but also counselling others to disobey a court order (for encouraging people to keep honking!). As I mentioned last week, Lich's lawyers characterized this sentence as the “highest sentence anyone has ever received” for the crime of mischief.

We don't know yet what sentence the judge will impose. While his lawyer is asking for a complete discharge (no sentence), it is likely he will receive either some jail time, house arrest, and/or probation. The sentence will be handed down this October. The hearing to take his truck will be in September.

What was supposed to be "only" a 16 day trial, has ballooned to over 50 days of trial. He has had to travel to Ottawa again for his recent sentencing hearing, and will need to do so once again in September and October. While some of Chris's extensive legal bills are covered, a big chunk of it falls on his shoulders, including his travel costs too and from Ottawa for the multiple legs of the trial, and additional motions - like the Crown trying to take Big Red. Chris needs your help to raise nearly $80,000.

Please click below to help Chris:

https://www.fundingthefight.ca/donate_chrisbarber