Demonstrator hit by vehicle at Tesla protest in Ottawa
Police say driver likely wasn't trying to hurt anyone
Ottawa police say they've ticketed but not criminally charged a driver who collided with a demonstrator Saturday afternoon during a protest at a Tesla dealership.
The pedestrian was hit by a black BMW at around 3:21 p.m. as it entered the parking lot of the dealership on Carling Avenue, police told Radio-Canada.
The driver was apparently trying to take a shortcut, police said, adding they didn't believe they were trying to hurt anyone.
The demonstrator was not injured, police said. The driver was arrested, given a ticket under the Highway Traffic Act and released, police said.
Several dozen protesters on scene
According to a witness who spoke to Radio-Canada, there were about 40 and 50 protesters spread out in front of the dealership when it happened.
Two police vehicles were already on scene and were able to quickly stop the driver, the witness added.
Protests against Tesla have been on the rise amid increasing furor directed at the company's CEO, billionaire Elon Musk, and his influence in the White House.
In recent days, dozens of vehicles were damaged at one Tesla dealership in Hamilton, while in Montreal activists splashed pink paint on a dealership's exterior.
With files from Radio-Canada's Antoine Fontaine