Canadian police have taken a hardline approach in an effort to break up the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, with at least 100 arrested and mounted police trampling protestors on Friday.

Mounted police and officers clad in riot gear, some carrying rifles, moved in on the Freedom Convoy on Friday, pushing into crowds of people including children as protestors linked arms and sang the national anthem in an effort to block their advances.

Scuffles between police and protestors were reported, with Freedom Convoy members creating makeshift snow barriers to help them defend against the police.

Four senior protest leaders are among roughly 100 people who have been arrested — largely on ‘mischief’ charges — and two dozen vehicles blocking key roads having been towed out of the estimated 350 vehicles belonging to the protestors.

Police have refused to release numbers of remaining protestors or vehicles, AP reports.

Despite the massive show of force, countless protesters continue to remain in the protest area, which prompted police to break out more severe tactics. Later in the day, RCMP officers on horseback were sent in to corral the crowd.

In some of the most shocking scenes to come out of Ottawa today, the mounted police officers began taking things into their own hands when they arrived.

In one video, several RCMP officers can be seen ramming their horses into the crowd of protesters as they clear a path for other officers.

The police ran their horses into a crowd of protesters much faster than they should have, despite the protesters being peaceful.

Watch the video here