Police have arrested a man who barricaded himself in the Parliament Hill’s East Block, ending an hours-long lockdown on April 5.
“The barricaded man call at East Block has ended without incident. One man is in custody,” Ottawa Police Service said in a statement late on April 5.
Earlier in the day, police issued an alert for occupants of East Block to seek shelter, and later evacuated everyone from the area and shut down the area around Parliament Hill.
An Ottawa police service robot is seen at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 5, 2025. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby
Tactical police officers attend an incident at East Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 5, 2025. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
“The Ottawa Police was notified by the Parliamentary Protective Service that an unknown man had gained unauthorized access to the East Block,” Ottawa Police Service Insp. Mark Bouwmeester told reporters earlier on April 5.
“As per the protocol, the building was evacuated and placed under lockdown.”
Police wouldn’t disclose whether the man was armed, citing an ongoing investigation, but stated that there are no casualties.
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Officers from both the Parliamentary Police Service as well as the Ottawa Police Service were involved in responding to the incident.
Police also deployed explosive units in their response to the situation, utilizing bomb disposal robots as part of the operation.
Ottawa Police said that the incident began shortly before 3 p.m.
Lockdown Alert
Members of the Ottawa police service cordon off an area during an incident at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 5, 2025. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby
The East Block, one of Parliament Hill’s landmark buildings, currently houses offices and meeting spaces for the Senate. Parliament is dissolved at the moment due to the federal election.
Sen. Patrick Brazeau on April 5 posted on social media the image of an alert sent by the Parliamentary Protective Service at 2:45 p.m., which instructed building occupants to seek shelter.
“A LOCKDOWN has been declared at: 111 Wellington – East Block,” the alert said.
“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.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
