Canada’s parliament was put on lockdown on Saturday (Apr 5) after a man gained unauthorised access to the east block of Parliament Hill in the capital. Police said the man was arrested, and a criminal investigation has been initiated, reported AP.

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“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.

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Earlier on Saturday afternoon, the Parliamentary Protective Service issued an emergency alert, advising those in the east block, which houses parliamentary offices, to “seek shelter in the nearest room. Close and lock all doors and hide,” according to the National Post.

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People inside the building were evacuated while a large section of Wellington Street, where the parliament is located, was blocked, stopping traffic and pedestrian movement.

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According to AP, hours after the lockdown was imposed, police extended the exclusion zone from Wellington Street one block back to Sparks Street.

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Police say ‘suspicious’ incident

Ottawa police inspector Mark Bouwmeester told reporters that the circumstances of the incident were “suspicious”. However, he did not give details of what was happening inside. 

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The police did not say whether the man was armed or made any threats.

“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 earlier said in a post on X.

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The police brought specialised units, including at least one canine unit and explosives units. Two bomb disposal unit robots were also seen in front of Centre Block.

According to the government website, East Block houses offices of Senators and their staff. However, Parliament Hill has remained mostly quiet this month due to the federal elections. Parliament has been dissolved since the election was called on March 23.

(With inputs from agencies)