Man who swerved car near pro-Palestinian protester arrested for assault: Victoria PD
Posted December 4, 2023 2:40 pm.
Last Updated December 4, 2023 2:42 pm.
VICTORIA — Police in Victoria have arrested a man they say accelerated his car towards a pro-Palestinian protester near the British Columbia legislature over the weekend.
Victoria Police say the man was arrested for assault with a weapon and dangerous operation of a vehicle after driving onto the sidewalk at about 2.p.m. Sunday, nearly striking the protester.
The incident on Bellville Street was captured on a video that’s being shared on social media, showing the driver jumping out of his car and arguing with another protester before a police officer intervenes to separate the men.
Photographs then show the driver on the ground and being restrained by four officers.
Police say the man has since been released pending a future court date, and the protest was able to continue without any other incidents.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims says in a statement that it’s “deeply concerned” by the incident, calling it “reprehensible.”
“This is the kind of apparent violence we have seen increase across this country … our leaders must step up to stem this tide of hate,” the council said in a statement on social media.
British Columbia’s human rights commissioner said last month that the Israel-Hamas war has triggered a surge of discrimination and violence toward both Jewish and Muslim people in the province.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2023.
The Canadian Press
