The Canadian Parliament went into a lockdown on Saturday after a man barricaded himself inside the building, Ottawa police said. The man gained "unauthorised access" to the Parliament Hill's East Block and remained inside overnight, before the police arrested him on Sunday morning.
It is unclear whether the man was armed or made any threats.
"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," the Ottawa police said in a post on X.
It also advised citizens to avoid the area and follow the direction of officers.
"Road closures remain in place on Wellington St. from Bank Street to Sussex Drive," they added.
.@PPS_SPP and @ottawapolice 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… https://t.co/i8iXRNmV2J
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) April 5, 2025
The incident prompted authorities to urge the public to "hide".
An alert from the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) at 2:45 pm asked people inside to "seek shelter in the nearest room, close and lock all doors and hide".
"If you are not in the immediate area, stay away until further notice. Do not travel to locations under lockdown. Wait for further instructions from first responders," it said.
Canadian Senator Patrick Brazeau posted a picture of the alert, saying, "Stay safe Ottawa".
🚨 Stay safe Ottawa. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/bsuCsKfgMs
— Senator Patrick Brazeau -Algonquin 🇨🇦 (@senatorbrazeau) April 5, 2025
Hours later, the police took the man into custody. However, did not provide further details.
"The criminal investigation is ongoing and an update will be provided in the morning. We thank the public for its cooperation," the police said.
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. #ottnews #ottawa https://t.co/58uvNOLyUH
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) April 6, 2025
Authorities have reportedly deployed specialised patrols in the area, with one canine unit, and two bomb disposal unit robots.
Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney dissolved the Parliament on March 23 ahead of the snap election on April 28. The polls will be held nearly six months ahead of the originally scheduled date of October 27.
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