OTTAWA — Tyson Billings has pleaded guilty to a charge of counselling to commit mischief related to his involvement in the protest that gridlocked Ottawa in Februaryand is to be released from jail.
Nicknamed "Freedom George" by his fellow protesters, Billings was a key figure in the three-week demonstration against COVID-19 restrictions and the federal government.
Protesters in big-rigs and trucks blocked streets for weeks, forming encampments, forcing businesses' to close and sparking a sense of what police and politicians described as "lawlessness" in downtown Ottawa.
Billings was co-accused with prominent protest organizer Pat King, whose trial is expected to go ahead as planned.
Crown counsel Moiz Karimjee says Billings appeared in videos with King encouraging people to thwart police checkpoints to access Ottawa's downtown.
Billings appeared in person at the Ottawa courthouse to deliver his plea where the courtroom was filled with supporters.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2022.
The Canadian Press
