Victoria police subdue a protester after breaking up a demonstration inside MLA Jeff Bray's office on Fort Street Thursday. (Debra Brash, Times Colonist)

A Victoria police officer pepper-sprays one of three young women who were blocking a police van behind MLA Jeff Bray's constituency office on Fort Street Thursday. (John McKay, Times Colonist)

Victoria police fired pepper spray at demonstrators Thursday evening after officers clad in riot gear broke down the door of Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA Jeff Bray's office to arrest 12 masked women who had occupied it.

A protest erupted in the parking lot behind Bray's office at 1084 Fort St. about 6 p.m. as 100 sympathizers of the women taunted 25 police officers, some armed with shields and rubber bullet and beanbag shot guns, in a tense standoff.

Police pepper-sprayed and detained three young women who sat down in front of the police van containing the arrested women, who had been protesting provincial government policies such as this week's cut in welfare payments.

Officers used more pepper spray to disperse the crowd and arrested a man who appeared to be obstructing one of police vehicles as it was proceeding along Cook Street to the police station.

Protesters, including various union members, chanted slogans such as Stop Campbell's War on the Poor and Free These Political Prisoners.

Brenda Jordison, a middle-aged woman, said she was disgusted by the police response. "Police clubbed me in the side just because I wouldn't move -- I got pepper spray in the eye," she charged.

Several members of the news media were also hit by the stinging spray.

"We had a situation we believe was escalating and we had to clear a pathway for our vehicles," said Sgt. Brian Fox, defending the action of the police department's crowd management unit.

"It may well have been the first time" city police have resorted to using pepper spray on a group of demonstrators, although it is routinely used on individuals, Fox said.

"Traditionally what we see in Victoria are very peaceful protests and we're very tolerant of that," Fox said. In this case there was "some indication of violence" in the occupation of Bray's office, which began shortly before 1 p.m., he said.

Fox showed reporters around the trashed ground floor office, where a filing cabinet had been moved, paper was strewn on the floor and glass smashed in the washroom.

Mike Demers, Bray's constituency assistant, said the protest began when a woman entered the office under the pretense of seeking information. Within minutes, she was followed by a group of people.

After that, Demers said, he and co-worker Dianne Clement were pushed out the door.

"I think both of us were surprised at how aggressive they were," he said. "They left us with the distinct impression that if we put up any resistance, it would intensify."

Clement said she was grabbed around the shoulders, then by the arm and shoved toward the door.

"I think probably I was more angry than afraid," said Clement. "I'm not accustomed to being rough-housed by anybody. It was a bit of a shock to have someone forcibly remove me from my desk."

The protest group, calling itself the Victoria Anti-Poverty Coalition/Kimberly Rogers Womyn's Brigade, hung signs in the windows and barricaded the door with a filing cabinet, boards, chains and other materials that had been brought along.

One young woman who was handing out leaflets outlining the group's concerns was arrested shortly after police arrived when she refused to leave the area in front of the occupied office.

The leaflets said the action was taken "in defense of all people whose lives are threatened by the economic violence perpetrated by the government of this province."

Bray said he was prepared to press charges over what he called a violent occupation of his office.

"It's absolutely unacceptable for my staff to actually be physically assaulted in the community office," he said at the legislature, before police made arrests. "My staff work for me, they do not work for government or for any political party."

Police Insp. Bill Belmont said a total of 16 women and one man were arrested and later released. Mischief charges are expected against the 12 women, who have promised to appear in provincial court at a later date, he said. Assault charges are also being contemplated, Belmont said.

Belmont defended the tactics used by police, saying they were necessary because the incident involved property damage and assault. Officers had tried without success to negotiate with the women by cellphone before deciding to break into the office, he said. No names were released but most of the women were believed to be in the early 20s.

The mother of one of the women who occupied Bray's office said the protests would continue.

"All I can tell you is these are brave, idealistic women," said Esther Muirhead, outside Bray's office.

"My daughter is 21, she's a musician," said Muirhead. "She doesn't have to do this -- she has better things to do ... but they wanted to say 'no, what the government is doing is not OK, we have to make a difference.'"

The women's group is named after Kimberly Rogers, a pregnant Ontario woman whose death has been linked to a crackdown on welfare in that province.

Muirhead said several of the women occupying the office were UVic students angry about the provincial government.

Deirdre Kelly, a social justice worker with the local Catholic diocese who came to support the women, said she is concerned with the impact government policies are having on the poor. "I think the concern is the Campbell cuts really are going to affect the most vulnerable in society."