Video seen on social media shows mounted police units in Ottawa trampling civilians. Newsweek. The incident occurred in Ottawa where Prime Minster Justin Trudeau has taken extreme steps to try and break up the freedom convoy, which is protesting Coronavirus mandates. Police were attempting to push protesters out when the mounted police charged between the police line and the protester line. At least two people appear to have been trampled, including and older woman with a mobility scooter. Police claim a bicycle was thrown and the police horses but no bicycle was visible on the videos or images trending on social media. Over 100 protesters have been arrested but as of this writing the protest continues.
Ottawa Police Horses Trample Protestors Increasing Tensions Between Protestors and Police
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 18, 2022
Credit: https://t.co/54dcfpPRvY pic.twitter.com/yAbVsAQcsn
TRUDEAU INCITES VIOLENCE ON PEACEFUL PROTESTERS IN OTTAWA: ELDERLY WOMAN TRAMPLED BY POLICE HORSES pic.twitter.com/4hgNIr03ln
— Jesse (@Jesse18957642) February 19, 2022
My Comments:
There are unconfirmed reports of a death connected to this incident but I have not been able to confirm them. I haven't heard anything official either way, but given the video I saw it is very possible. It could also be the kind of false reporting that happens after an incident like this. Don't make descions based on what we know now as it could go either way. And also considering that Canada is acting like a third world tinpot dictatorship, even if someone died I doubt we will hear about it.
This is a huge escalation in violence from the Canadian government, only one step down from actually firing upon the protesters in Ottawa. Charging a crowd of peaceful protesters is not how these things are done.
Indeed, I have watched a lot of riots and I can't remember mounted police being used in this way. Sure, sometimes people did get trampled in the 2020 George Floyd riots but those were always active rioters, not peaceful protesters. This wasn't a bunch of young Antifa rioters or Black Lives Matter looters, these were peaceful protesters, much like some of the 2020 protesters that remained peaceful. I saw no violence in the crowd whatsoever and they were mostly trying to convince the riot police to leave.
It makes little sense because charging into a crowd of people is about the last thing you want to do with a horse. Horses are for speed and maneuverability, and for intimidation purposes. You don't charge into a crowd because the horse naturally wants to stop and if it does you are extremely vulnerable to being taken off of the horse. It's bad tactics and it's multiplied by the fact that it's not only extremely dangerous to the police officer, it's dangerous to anyone else who happens to be nearby.
I don't buy for a second the Ottawa police department claim that someone threw a bike at the horses, spooking them. Indeed, the only vehicle I saw was the older lady's mobility scooter. It is possible the horses got spooked, either from her scooter or just from the size of the crowd, but like I said before, this isn't standard mounted unit procedure as far as I am aware.
Regardless, it seemed massively reckless and it will be a miracle if neither of the two people that got hit died. I think that the older woman probably survived but the man in the brown coat looked like he got trample pretty good. If he did make it than it's pure luck on his part.
I think that this situation will rapidly spiral out of control. The anger I am seeing over this is unreal, though some of that is due to the speculation over a death. The optics of this situation couldn't be worse for the Trudeau regime. An old lady was in one minute calling for peace and the next minute she was knocked over by a charging horse. People are going to be upset about that and for good reason. That's not what we expect from a western "civilized" government.
I also have to say that cracking down on peaceful protesters is how a lot of civil wars have started recently. Syria started that way and I believe Libya did as well. And let's not forget the original example, the American Revolution. Hurting or killing people using peaceful means to protest shows that the government is no longer legitimate. It's one thing to break up a riot with heavy force, and even using non-lethal force to break up protests can be justified. But using lethal force against people who are just standing around? That's a line that I can't believe Canada just crossed.
It really shows how unhinged Justin Trudeau and his government has gotten. They are using potentially lethal force against peaceful protesters. And keep in mind that this is after the protesters proved that they would respond to good faith negotiations. The blockades at the Coutts border crossing and other US/Canada border stations were broken up after local and provincial officials negotiated a settlement. Those folks went home peacefully because the government treated them with respect and gave them some of what they wanted.
But Trudeau has, rather insanely, said he will not negotiate period. He won't even meet with the protest organizers. Instead he is arresting leadership, hacking donation sites, freezing bank accounts of donators and now ordering the police to act like goons and even possibly killing people. He is acting like a dictator and I actually wonder if he has lost his mind.
The most insane thing is that the Canadians are simply asking that Canada follow the lead of other countries that are pulling back on their Coronavirus mandates. For me, I haven't lived with any sort of mandate since last summer, outside of my job of course. Much of Europe and the United States are now dropping whatever mandates they have, even if far left places like Nevada and New Jersey. Even much of Canada has removed mandates at the provincial level. But Trudeau? He keeps doubling down and it makes zero sense.
I honestly think that this is some kind of tipping point but to where? I don't think that Canada's future is an image of a man on the ground with Justin Trudeau's boot on his neck forever. But I also don't know if Trudeau is going to accept either a return to status quo or being removed. He's taken control of the government and I don't know if anyone can legally stop him at this point.
I do know one thing. Violence begets violence. It's why Ruby Ridge and Waco lead to the Oklahoma City Bombing. It's why dozens of ISIS attacks eventually lead to the Christchurch shooting. It's why one gang member kills another. And Canada is very close to going down this path. This is a huge problem, not only for them, but for the United States as well. I hope that cooler heads prevail but at this point I think almost any outcome, including a protracted civil war and associated refugee crisis, is on the table.
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