Police send in mounted officers to ‘create critical space’ from ‘assaultive’ protesters

Ottawa police have deployed mounted officers as they attempt to take back city streets from trucker convoy protesters, citing a goal of preventing further escalation or potential injury from what they're calling “assaultive” demonstrators.

“The protesters continued their assaultive behaviour with the police line, to prevent an escalation or further injury, mounted officers were sent in to create critical space between the police line and protesters,” police say in a tweet on Friday, February 18. “This is done to create a safe distance.”

Ottawa police now says mounted officers were sent in to create “critical space” between police line and protesters.

OPS adds as this was happening, a bicycle was allegedly thrown at one of the horses in an attempt to injure it. One person was arrested as a result. #ottnews https://t.co/Rr7Amf3rD4

— Alex Goudge (@AlexGoudge) February 18, 2022

As this was happening, The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) added that a bicycle was thrown at one of the horses in an attempt to cause injury. However, police have confirmed the horse was uninjured.

The OPS added that it hears everyone who's concerned following a video that surfaced on social media of some mounted police pushing over some people with their horses.

But the police force said anyone who fell down got up and walked away, and that it's unaware of any injuries.

Around 5:13 p.m. on Friday, police tweeted that protesters are assaulting officers and many have attempted to remove officers' weapons.

Some people within the crowed were pepper sprayed by police following those incidents.

“All means of de-escalation have been used to move forward in our goal of returning Ottawa to it’s normalcy,” the OPS' tweet said.

With the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests reaching day 22, police said they've reclaimed Ottawa's streets from demonstrators and that they've got “control of the situation.”

Police advancing again pic.twitter.com/IvSuzf7xp6

— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) February 18, 2022

On Friday evening, the OPS announced more than 100 trucker convoy protesters have been arrested. On top of that, 21 vehicles have been towed from the city's downtown core.

The OPS also announced officers have successfully moved protesters past the intersection of Mackenzie Avenue and Rideau Street, where a large cluster of protesters were congregating in front of the Chateau Laurier hotel earlier in the day.

Throughout the day, the OPS has been demanding demonstrators leave, cease further unlawful activity and remove their property from protest sites, adding anyone within the unlawful protest site may be arrested.

DEMONSTRATORS: You must leave. You must cease further unlawful activity and immediately remove your vehicle and/or property from all unlawful protest sites. Anyone within the unlawful protest site may be arrested. pic.twitter.com/QqmBNXQkPi

— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 19, 2022