On Friday Ottawa Police mounted up and rode horses through a crowd of protestors with utter disregard for the safety and well-being of the Canadian citizens in the crowd.
At least two individuals were trampled by the mounted police, one of whom was an elderly woman. Early reports indicate that her name is Roberta Paulson. Some reports claim that Paulson succumbed to her injuries. More recent reports indicate that the woman is still alive, though the full story is unclear.
A still image shows the elderly woman on the ground behind a horse with what appears to be a walker. The still image shows another protester farther up in the road as he is stepped on by one of the horses.
Many social media users are blaming protestors for having crowded the mounted police. The users claim that the horses became nervous due to the people around them. The protestors, however, never crowded the horses. The police chose to ride easily spooked animals through a crowd of protestors.
Even if both victims remain alive, the event is likely to spark outrage and further fuel the protests with an anti-government undertone.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to only further alienate those on the side of the protestors. Recently Trudeau has invoked the Federal Emergencies Act.
This act grants the Prime Minister Emergency powers and expands the authority of the Canadian police. At another point on Friday, police were seen beating protestors down with the butt end of their rifles. The incident was caught on video and posted on social media
“You don’t have to hit him with that!” shouted a bystander as the gruesome assault took place.