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Canada parliament briefly put on lockdown after man barricades himself inside
The Canadian parliament went into lockdown on Sunday following a security situation. The person involved has been taken into custody.
Ottawa police on Sunday said that the situation at the east block of Canada’s parliament, where a man had gained unauthorised access and remained overnight, ended peacefully.
The person has been taken into custody, and a criminal investigation has been initiated. The Canadian parliament went into lockdown on Sunday following the situation.
“The barricaded man call at East Block has ended without incident. One man is in custody. The @ottawapolice criminal investigation is ongoing and an update will be provided in the morning. We thank the public for its cooperation,” Ottawa police said in a post on X.
Earlier on Saturday afternoon, police issued a warning advising anyone in the east block, which houses parliamentary offices, to seek shelter in the nearest room, lock all doors, and remain hidden.
“There is an ongoing police operation on Bentbrook Crescent in Barrahven. Please avoid the area. Further updates will be provided as they become available,” Ottawa police had said in a post on X.
Police treating incident as suspicious
People were evacuated from the building as police closed a large section of Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, halting both traffic and pedestrian movement.
Ottawa police inspector Mark Bouwmeester told reporters that the man gained “unauthorised access” to the east block of Parliament Hill, and the circumstances surrounding the incident are being treated as suspicious.
Over three hours into the lockdown, police expanded the exclusion zone, extending it from Wellington Street to include one additional block on Sparks Street.
Ottawa police had brought in specialised units, including at least one canine unit and explosives units. A government web page said that east block housed the offices of Senators and their staff, but Parliament Hill had been mostly quiet this month due to the federal election.
Parliament had been dissolved since the election was called on March 23. The polls will be held nearly six months earlier than the originally scheduled date of October 27, bringing the election forward to an earlier timeframe than anticipated.
With agencies inputs
