A 37-year-old Niagara-on-the-Lake man has been charged with assault and theft after an “interaction” with a horse carriage protester July 25.

The incident took place at about 1 p.m. in the area of King Street and Picton Street, police said.

About 45 minutes prior, the protester “had approached a carriage and expressed his concerns” to the man’s family, who were riding in a horse-drawn carriage.

Police didn’t release details of the interaction, only saying that “neither party was injured” and that as a result of the investigation officers were able to recover a sign and cell phone that belong to the protester.

Mark Giordani, who turned himself in to police, was arrested July 29 and released on a promise to appear in court.

The horse and carriage protests in Niagara-on-the-Lake have been ongoing for about three years by members of animal activist group At War For Animals Niagara, sparking a counter-protest group called Locals For Carriages. Police said tension has been escalating between the two parties.

Story in development.