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One of the central organisers behind the “Freedom Convoy” protest that caused Canada’s capital to descend into gridlock for weeks in 2022 has been found guilty of mischief.
Pat King, 47, is the first leader of the protests to learn of his verdict. Two others, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, will learn the outcome of their trials within the next six months.
A judge in an Ottawa courtroom on Friday found King guilty on five counts, including one count each of mischief, counselling others to commit mischief and counselling others to obstruct police.
King, who had led a convoy of lorries in Ottawa in protest of Covid-19 measures and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, had pleaded not guilty.
King was also found guilty of two counts of disobeying a court order, but the judge did not find him guilty of two other charges he faced – intimidation and obstructing police.
Estimates made prior to the trial suggested that King could face up to 10 years in prison.
Lawyers for King argued during his trial that he was part of a peaceful protest against public health restrictions and government mandates, and that police were to blame for rising tensions during the demonstrations.
Crown prosecutors, however, argued that King was a key figure of a protest that had disrupted and harmed the residents and workers of downtown Ottawa for weeks.
They detailed one instance where King allegedly helped move 80 lorries to block a major street in the city, and another where he allegedly instructed protestors to honk their horns every 30 minutes.
Organisers of the Freedom Convoy, including Ms Lich and Mr Barber, are also facing a C$300m ($222m; £175m) civil lawsuit brought against them by Ottawa residents over the disruptions they caused in the city.
Crown prosecutors relied mainly on King’s own videos to make their case, which he posted on social media throughout the demonstration to communicate with fellow protesters.
The February 2022 protests were initially sparked by a federal vaccine mandate for lorry drivers crossing the US-Canada border.
Convoys of some 400 heavy trucks and other vehicles descended on Ottawa and blockaded city streets around parliament for three weeks.
City officials deemed it an “occupation”.
Separate protests also blocked a key US-Canada border crossing near Detroit, angering the White House and disrupting the flow of goods. Other border points were blocked in Alberta and Manitoba.
The protests received international attention and inspired similar copycat demonstrations abroad.
They were stopped after Prime Minister Trudeau enacted a never-before-used Emergencies Act, which allowed police to clear the streets and freeze the bank accounts of protesters.
King was arrested shortly after on 18 February and was released on bail five months later.
He was ordered back behind bars briefly this year after he breached court-imposed rules on his social media use.
King has been charged in a separate case with perjury and obstruction of justice related to testimony he gave at a bail hearing. The trial dates for that case have not yet been set.