How Does The OPS See This Ending Well?

Feb 19, 2022

The Ottawa Police have managed to assault another journalist covering the Freedom Convoy/Canadian Revolution.

True North's Andrew Lawton was pepper sprayed by officers of the OPS. According to Mr. Lawton he was well back from the front line of protesters and complied with every order to move back.

There does not appear to be video footage of the assault, although we do have an “after” photo of Mr Lawton with clear chemical burns on his face.

Andrew Lawton @AndrewLawton

Police just pepper sprayed me. I was several feet away from their front line and had obeyed every order to move back.

True North plans to sue the police over the assault.

Candice Malcolm @CandiceMalcolm

I've just retained a lawyer on behalf of True North and our journalist @AndrewLawton. We are suing the police for assault and targeting a working journalist. @JustinTrudeau: you don't get to beat up journalists in this country. See you in court.

There is no denying that assaulting journalists is a bad look for the police, particularly in a society where freedom of the press is a fundamental right. Even if the pepper spray attack was “accidental”, it speaks to the indiscriminate use of force by the Ottawa Police--which would be yet another violation of Canadians civil liberties.

Which begs the question of the title: how does the OPS see this ending well?

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