Canadian man drives SUV through group of Freedom Convoy protesters, injuring 4
Police say the driver was arrested after a 'brief struggle'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Canadian man is facing criminal charges after plowing through a group of protesters taking part in the Freedom Convoy of truckers protesting the country’s coronavirus vaccine mandates Friday night.
"A 42yr old male is facing charges after driving through a group of protesters that were part of the Freedom Convoy at the Legislative grounds," the Winnipeg Police tweeted Saturday. "4 adult males were struck."
A man waves a Canadian flag from a hockey stick in front of the Canadian Parliament building during the Freedom Convoy 2022.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In an accompanying press release, police say the driver in a Jeep Patriot plowed through the crowd and then sped off at high speeds before being chased down by police and arrested after a brief struggle.
Three people sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention and the fourth was treated in the hospital and released.
FILE PHOTO: Protestors stand on a trailer carrying logs as truckers and supporters take part in a convoy to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates for cross-border truck drivers in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, January 29, 2022. REUTERS/Patrick Doyle/File Photo
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"A 42-year-old male from Headingly, Manitoba, faces charges of: Assault with Weapon x 4, Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance Cause Bodily Harm x 2, Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance, Fail to Stop After Accident Knowing That Reckless x 2, Fail to Stop at Scene of Accident x 2," police say.
Graphic video of the incident circulated on social media showing a group of people peacefully protesting before being struck by the Jeep and chasing after it as it fled.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Freedom Convoy is composed of truckers and other protesters who are demanding the Canadian government end federal COVID-19 mandates including vaccine requirements for cross-border travel.
Trucks sit parked on Wellington Street near the Parliament Buildings as truckers and their supporters take part in a convoy to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates for cross-border truck drivers in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, January 29, 2022. (REUTERS/Patrick Doyle)
The convoy began Jan. 23 and culminated with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators arriving in Ottawa, Canada's capital, on Jan. 29 to protest the mandates. Many truckers have remained parked in the same places since the weekend in below-freezing temperatures, honking their horns and revving their engines.
"We're all brothers in this together, and we're here for one cause, and that's the fight for the freedoms of Canadians and for Canada itself," one trucker, Andrew, told Fox News.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Canadian trucker Mat Mackenzie said on Friday that the freedom convoy isn't going to stop until the Canadian government removes COVID vaccine mandates.
"They are not giving in and I got to say, we have a message to bring to all Canadians and the world watching that our freedoms matter," Mackenzie told Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino on "America’s Newsroom."
Fox News' Jon Michael Raasch contributed to this report