Footage of mounted police coming between protesters in Ottawa is going viral.
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Roger Ferland, ex-investigator at the SPVQ and Mario Bernique, expert in police intervention, the Ottawa police have resorted to cavalry to avoid other types of force.
“The use of equestrian police is effective, it’s impressive. […] We are at the stage where things have to stop. You could say it’s not chic, but it’s effective,” says Roger Ferland.
According to Mario Bernique, the horses were used to break through the crowd.
“Most people, when they see a horse coming towards them, they will settle down”, he specifies.
“It’s a maneuver that can help move the crowd to make an intervention maneuver without necessarily using force,” he says.
Despite everything, Roger Ferland believes that there are risks to the use of this maneuver, but wishes to be nuanced.
“Yes there is a risk, but we are in the use of force,” he explains.
He says that once the demonstration is declared illegal, and protesters have been warned that they risk being arrested, they know they are in danger.
Roger Ferland specifies that the maneuver did not show abuse.
The police are also filmed from all sides, so he does not believe that they would have taken the risk of making a bad move.
Despite several rumors circulating on the Web, no one died as a result of the intervention of the cavalry.
Ottawa police have confirmed that those who fell were able to get up and leave the scene. No animals were injured.
However, a protester was arrested for throwing a bicycle at a horse with the intention of hurting him.
On several videos shot by demonstrators, we can also see that the hair does not touch the people on the ground, but does indeed pass over it.