Canada Parliament On Lockdown After Man Barricades Himself Inside The Premises

Last Updated:April 06, 2025, 13:03 IST

In a post on social media, the police advised citizens to avoid the area and follow the direction of the officers.

The Canadian Parliament. (Reuters)

The Canadian Parliament went into lockdown on Saturday after a man barricaded himself inside the building, Ottawa police said.

Investigators said the man gained unauthorised access to the east block of Canada’s parliament on Saturday afternoon and barricaded himself inside the building before the police arrested him on Sunday morning.

In a post on social media, the police advised citizens to avoid the area and follow the direction of the officers.

“Officers are on scene at Parliament Hill for a barricaded man in the area of East block. There is a large police presence in the area. East block has been evacuated. There are no known injuries and police continue to deal with an individual in this ongoing incident that began just before 3 p.m. Please avoid the area and follow the direction of officers. Road closures remain in place on Wellington St. from Bank Street to Sussex Drive," the police said.

After the incident, police initially released a warning on Saturday afternoon telling anyone in east block, which houses parliamentary offices, to seek shelter in the nearest room, close and lock all doors and hide.

The building was evacuated, and police closed off a large section of Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, restricting both vehicular and pedestrian access.

More than three hours after the lockdown began, police extended the exclusion zone from Wellington Street one block back to Sparks Street. However, the police did not say whether the man had been armed or made threats.

Hours later, the police took the man into custody. However, they did not provide further details.

“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," they wrote on X.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney dissolved Parliament on March 23, paving the way for a snap election in April. The polls will be held nearly six months ahead of the originally scheduled date of October

Ottawa, Canada

News world Canada Parliament On Lockdown After Man Barricades Himself Inside The Premises