Parliament Hill closed for investigation into 'possible threat', Two Sikh rally organizers say they were wrongly arrested amid Parliament bomb scare

[lindamy]

Parliament Hill closed for investigation into 'possible threat'​

Updated June 11, 2022 3:00 p.m. EDT
Published June 11, 2022 2:11 p.m. EDT

Ottawa police are asking the public to stay away from Parliament Hill due to a police operation into a "suspicious incident."

According to an alert from the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS), obtained by CTV News Ottawa, there is a "shelter in place" order due to what PPS called a "possible threat." Parliament Hill has been evacuated.

Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings is closed from Elgin Street to Bronson Avenue, as is Metcalfe Street between Albert and Slater streets, according to police.

No other details have been made available. Police say they will advise when the matter has been fully investigated and the area cleared.
This is a developing news story. More details to come…

RELATED IMAGES

Ottawa police have closed Parliament Hill for an investigation. June 11, 2022. (Andrew Pinsent/Newstalk 580 CFRA)

Parliament Hill closed for investigation into 'possible threat'

Parliament Hill in Ottawa has been evacuated as police investigate a 'possible threat' in the Parliamentary Precinct. Ottawa police have closed streets in the area.

ottawa.ctvnews.ca

 

[c8848]

以后会是常态化。

 

[lindamy]

Parliament Hill reopens after investigation into 'possible threat'​

警方未提供任何细节。

 

[Teddy]

Parliament Hill 不是早就关闭了吗？

 

[lindamy]

Two Sikh rally organizers say they were wrongly arrested amid Parliament bomb scare​

02:12

Police action on Parliament Hill​

05:17

Police evacuate Parliament Hill due to possible threat​

01:27

Parliament Hill evacuated for police operation​

Updated June 13, 2022 4:09 p.m. EDT
Published June 13, 2022 3:32 p.m. EDT

Two organizers of a Sikh event set to take place on Parliament Hill Saturday say they were arrested and released after being wrongfully identified in connection to a bomb threat in the area.

Manveer Singh, an organizer of a remembrance rally for the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in India, said his group had received a permit to gather on the Hill, but when they arrived they were told they were not allowed to be there because of an ongoing threat in the area.

Parminder Singh, another organizer, said they relocated to the lawn in front of the Supreme Court of Canada nearby to hold their event.


A few minutes after their event got underway, Manveer Singh said police arrested him and told him they had "credible information" that he was connected to a serious bomb threat on the Hill.

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• Parliament Hill given all clear after investigation reveals 'no public safety threat'

"They believed that I'm the one who's gonna do that. I was shocked. I'm gathering my community here to bomb them?" he said, adding that police searched him, handcuffed him and brought him to the police station for questioning.

Parminder Singh said he was arrested not long afterward by Ottawa police, who told him that his name was connected to an alleged bomb threat of Parliament.

"It doesn't make sense because I know I am not involved in anything. I'm proud as a Canadian Sikh. I love this country, I will do everything to protect this country," he said.

The two organizers said that police searched their cars for explosives.

He said after being in custody for a short while, police released him and apologized, adding they arrested him based on wrong information.

Ottawa police did not answer questions about the men's account of events, saying only that the investigation into the matter is now concluded and no charges were laid.

Police said in a statement Saturday that they received information about a potential threat near the parliamentary precinct, prompting them to close some surrounding streets to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

The Parliamentary Protective Service also ordered an evacuation of Parliament Hill, issuing an alert to all members of Parliament and staff and noting all buildings in the precinct were to be under shelter-in-place orders until further notice.

Both of the Sikh rally organizers say they are worried about the damage done to their reputation as a result of being arrested in connection to the explosives threat.

"It's deeply hurt my kids, my wife and also other community members," Parminder Singh said.

He said his group began organizing these rallies in 2017, to gather Sikhs from across Ontario and Quebec.

Manveer Singh said they have been holding these rallies for several years, with the exception of the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2022.

Two Sikh rally organizers say they were wrongly arrested amid Parliament bomb scare

Two organizers of a Sikh event set to take place on Parliament Hill Saturday say they were arrested and released after being wrongfully identified in connection to a bomb threat in the area.

ottawa.ctvnews.ca