The leaders of the "Freedom Convoy" are preparing to answer to criminal charges next week for their part in the massive demonstration that gridlocked Ottawa last year -- but the stakes go beyond the actions of two protest organizers.

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were among the most prominent organizers of the protest movement that rolled into Ottawa early in 2022, and they're scheduled to be the first members of the organizing committee to stand trial on Sept. 5

The convoy exposed a stark divide in Canada, Kempa said, between the "significant degree" of people who support and sympathize with the protesters and those who were, "lock, stock and barrel, completely against" it.

Velloso said the court could seek to punish Lich and Barber severely if they're found guilty of mischief.