One of the most polarizing figures to gain notoriety during what became known as the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa more than two years ago will stand trial Monday, signalling the tail end of criminal proceedings that have dogged hundreds of individuals who participated in the historic protest.
Pat King, from Red Deer, Alta., is facing charges of mischief, intimidation, obstructing police, disobeying a court order and other offences for his role in the protest that gridlocked downtown for nearly a month in early 2022.
Arrested and jailed for five months before his release that summer, King is unlikely to serve more time behind bars if he is found guilty, given laws around credit from time served.
Like other prominent convoy leaders, King’s trial is expected to draw a sizeable crowd outside the Ottawa Courthouse.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
One of the most polarizing figures to gain notoriety during what became known as the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa more than two years ago will stand trial Monday, signalling the tail end of criminal proceedings that have dogged hundreds of individuals who participated in the historic protest.
Pat King, from Red Deer, Alta., is facing charges of mischief, intimidation, obstructing police, disobeying a court order and other offences for his role in the protest that gridlocked downtown for nearly a month in early 2022.
But unlike the trials of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, King’s defence won’t be bankrolled by The Democracy Fund or the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms — both well-mobilized entities with deep ties to libertarian and right-wing backers.
Similarly, many of the convoy supporters and even some of the original core organizers who once shouted slogans against vaccine mandates alongside King have abandoned or distanced themselves from the 46-year-old, who is known for making incendiary remarks.
King, who was granted permission to livestream online for fundraising purposes, admitted to supporters in that final video before he travelled to Ottawa that he’s looking forward to the end of the legal ordeal so he could return to some normalcy.
On Facebook alone, King still draws 339,000 followers, posting videos from events including a highly publicized one featuring Alberta premier Danielle Smith and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in Calgary earlier this year.
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