On the tenth anniversary of the shooting on Parliament Hill, a man was arrested and charged with trespassing as he attempted to push past security guards into the House of Commons.
It happened just before 11 a.m. ET Wednesday at the south entrance of the West Block building, the same entrance often used by members of Parliament and staff.
CTV News journalists witnessed the man, who identified himself as Brian Kidder, carrying a black duffle bag as he pushed against three Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) officers.
PPS is the amalgamated security force charged with protecting the space on Parliament Hill. The security force was created in the wake of the shooting a decade ago.
After multiple requests to leave, CTV News journalists saw one officer arrest the man for trespassing and put him in handcuffs.
“The man in his 60s was subsequently charged by the Ottawa Police Service under the Ontario Trespass to Property Act for Failing to leave,” according to a statement from Ottawa police.
In an emailed statement to CTV News, PPS said, “This individual attempted to enter an entry point reserved to access cardholders,” adding there are entry points for people with cardholder access to Parliament Hill and others for the public.
PPS underscored that members of the public must go through the visitor welcome centre, which is located between the West Block and Centre Block buildings.
A Facebook page belonging to someone named Brian Kidder shows a live stream of the events leading up to the arrest. It shows the man walking up to the parliament building calling it the “house of evil.”
In the video, as he walks up the stairs to gain access to Parliament Hill, he is asked by PPS officers stationed there if he has a pass. The man tells them he does not but then claims to have a special invite.
The man is told he can’t go in there, to which he responds, “Why not? It’s a public place.”