Convoy protest organizers defending a proposed class-action lawsuit now argue the Ottawa Police Services Board should be on the hook for any potential damages to be paid out, claiming protesters were following police directions when they parked hundreds of trucks in downtown Ottawa during the 2022 demonstration.

“None of the defendants … had originally expected to park any vehicles on the streets of downtown Ottawa as part of the protest,” according to a new third-party claim filed by the lawyer for the defendants, which include organizers Tamara Lich, Chris Barber and Pat King.

“Rather, everyone had been expecting that Freedom Convoy vehicles would park in ‘staging areas’ selected by the Ottawa Police Service located away from residential downtown Ottawa and that shuttles or other forms of transportation would ferry protesters from those staging areas to Parliament Hill for peaceful assembly,” state documents filed in Superior Court of Ontario by Toronto-based defence lawyer James Manson.

The claim was filed in response to the proposed $290-million class-action suit launched by Zexi Li and other downtown Ottawa residents and businesses, alleging residents suffered due to diesel fumes and the blaring of vehicle horns while businesses and employees lost income during the three-week protest.