RCMP search for protesters who surrounded N.S. premier's vehicle, smashed windshield

RCMP say they ar trying to key a aggroup of protesters who swarmed the vehicle of Nova Scotia premiere Tim sam houston, including whoever smashed its windshield while he was inside.

The incident happened Wednesday at Acadia University in Wolfville, where Houston was speaking to the Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce about his vision for the province's economy.

As Houston left the event, the SUV he was travelling in was surrounded. Police say an individual then climbed onto the vehicle and broke the windshield.

“Those who unlawfully interfere with or threaten the safety of any person or property will be held accountable,” RCMP said in a news release Thursday.

“Acts of violence will not be tolerated and will be investigated fully by police.”

RCMP said one man was arrested on Wednesday and released without charges.

The release said the arrest was related to an incident that occurred during the protest, but the individual arrested is not believed to have been involved in the damage to the premier's vehicle or in preventing that vehicle from leaving the area.

Geoff Ball, 80, said he was taken into custody, but insists he was protesting peacefully.

"They grabbed me, dragged me across the pavement and smashed me face first into a wall, proceeded to put handcuffs on me so tight I still have marks," Ball said in a Zoom interview Wednesday evening, adding that his shorts were also torn during the ordeal.

"It was very painful. And then they threw me roughly into the back seat."

Angry protesters surround N.S. Premier Houston's car, smash windshield

In a social media post on Wednesday, Houston thanked the RCMP for how they handled the "volatile situation.”

“What happened after the event today was not peaceful. It was violence,” Houston said in the video on TikTok.

“I think Nova Scotians know that I will engage with anyone. I will listen and sometimes I will even change my mind based on those respectful conversations.

“This was not that.”

When Houston first arrived on campus, about 50 peaceful protesters were standing outside, mostly looking to draw attention to concerns about the potential closure of five libraries in the Annapolis Valley.

But as the premier spoke, the crowd grew larger and louder. People were protesting a number of issues including the ability for Mi'kmaq to regulate their own cannabis sales, the province's plan to promote fracking and mining, and the need to observe treaty rights.

Steve Hewitt, an associate professor at the University of Birmingham whose areas of expertise include security, intelligence and the RCMP, said it appears there were security failures during the incident.

"It seems incredibly unprofessional that you've got the top elected official in the province going to an event, and normally I would assume there would be some intelligence generated about the potential for protests at a university," Hewitt said in a Zoom interview on Wednesday from Birmingham, United Kingdom.

"It seems like he was completely unprotected."

The Justice Department did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.

Houston is speaking again today at another chamber of commerce event in Yarmouth.

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