Canadian Parliament Lockdown Ends After Man Arrested For Barricading Himself Inside

On Saturday, a man barricaded himself inside the Canadian Parliament's East Block. He remained inside overnight before being arrested on Sunday.

File photo of House of Commons at West Block

Source : https://lop.parl.ca/sites/Visit/default/en_CA

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

Investigators 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. However, there was no immediate word on charges or motive.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), police said that the man had been taken into custody without incident, and the criminal investigation is going on.

"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."

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

On Saturday afternoon, police first issued a warning, instructing anybody in the east block—which includes the legislative offices—to hide in the closest room, lock all the doors, and take cover.

The building's occupants were evacuated, and police blocked traffic and pedestrians on a large portion of Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill.

"@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 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",  Ottawa Police posted on X.

.@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

What Ottawa Police Said?

Ottawa police Insp. Mark Bouwmeester told reporters that the circumstances of the incident were “suspicious,” but gave few details about what was happening inside, AP reported. The officers did not say whether the man had been armed or made threats.

Specialised units were brought in by Ottawa police, including explosives and at least one canine team.