Protesters spotted riding horses at convoy rally; Ottawa Humane Society issues warning

Bringing animals to a protest can threaten their wellbeing for a variety of reasons, warned the Ottawa Humane Society after horses were spotted at the ongoing ‘freedom rally’ in the nation’s capital.

At least two protesters were riding horses at the trucker convoy protest in Ottawa on Saturday, February 5. 

“Reports are coming from downtown about dogs and horses that have been brought into the protest,” tweeted the Ottawa Humane Society.

“For any animal, prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures, loud noises, road salt on paws or hooves, and inadequate access to food and water can threaten an animal’s wellbeing.”

The horses. This happened about an hour and a half ago. Apologies for the delay – cold fingers, bad service. pic.twitter.com/sYWfHSIwn4

— Xiaoli Li / 李肖黎 (@Xiaoli_3000) February 5, 2022

It was minus-15 C in Ottawa on Saturday afternoon but felt like minus-25 C with the wind chill.

One of the protesters on horseback waved a Canadian flag. The other, who wore a cowboy hat, had a red “Trump 2024” flag in support of the former U.S. president.

Hundreds of people surrounded the horses, taking photos and videos of the two protesters. 

As has become commonplace since the rally began last week, cars and trucks were honking their horns in the background.

Police in Ottawa were expecting roughly 400 more trucks and up to 2,000 people on foot to arrive this weekend to join the protest.

This follows a week-long presence of convoy demonstrators, harassment and horns honking on a near-constant basis, fraying the nerves of residents living in the neighbourhoods near Parliament Hill.

Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly on Friday committed to “do better” and pledged a “surge” of 150 extra officers to patrol the demonstration.