A key organizer of the Freedom Convoy protests that paralyzed Canada’s capital city for a month in 2022 was sentenced on Wednesday to three months of house arrest.

Ontario Superior Court judge Charles Hackland also sentenced organizer Pat King to 12 months of probation, to begin once King’s house arrest ends. The sentence additionally includes 100 hours of community service at either a food bank or men’s shelter. Justice Hackland’s ruling falls short of the 10-year sentence sought by the crown, which argued that King had played a key logistical role in sustaining the protests despite having been warned several times by the police.

In November 2024, King was found guilty on five charges related to the protests, including mischief and disobeying a court order. The court found that King played a crucial role in coordinating the trucker-led demonstrations against COVID-19 restrictions, in which approximately 400 trucks blocked the streets around the city parliament for three weeks. King used social media to rally support and coordinate activities, with his outspokenness making him a central and polarizing figure.

The demonstrations ultimately prompted the imposition of the federal Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history. The act allows the government to take “special temporary measures” in order to ensure safety during a national emergency. The invocation of the act by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau included measures such as asset freezes and arrests for several key organizers and participants.

Wednesday’s decision comes after the federal government announced it would appeal a February 2024 decision that found its invocation of the Emergencies Act unconstitutional. Additionally, a report by an official inquiry on the Emergencies Act found that the federal government was justified in its invocation of the Act.

Several other high-profile organizers of the Freedom Convoy remain in court on similar charges ranging from mischief to intimidation and obstruction of justice.