Parliamentary Protective Service members and protestors gather outside of West Block on Parliament Hill as parliamentary business resumes after the summer recess in Ottawa, on Sept. 16.Blair Gable/Reuters
The parliamentary entity that safeguards the physical security of Parliament Hill says it has significantly adjusted security measures, and Ottawa Police have also directed additional resources to nearby streets, amid concerns about protesters confronting MPs.
The Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) and Ottawa Police Service have been monitoring a vocal group of demonstrators who congregated near Parliament Hill last week and who shouted at members of Parliament after they returned to Ottawa for a new parliamentary session. At the time, NDP MP Charlie Angus called the lack of Ottawa Police presence on Wellington St., in front of Parliament Hill, “very concerning.”
Mr. Angus’s concerns go well beyond a group of protesters in Ottawa. He and other MPs say they are increasingly worried about threats, both near the Hill and in their ridings.
On Tuesday, Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonell told the Hogue inquiry into foreign interference that MPs are being targeted on a daily basis.
Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs told journalists on Monday afternoon that police were aware of the protesters near the Hill and that his service is ensuring there are more resources in place near the Hill.
The security situation has been “concerning” for some politicians and individuals who are trying to access West Block, where the House of Commons is located, he added.
Liberal MP Pam Damoff said in an interview that last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, MPs were facing intimidation and harassment near the Hill. She said some colleagues shared that they were surrounded after trying to leave their offices to go to the Hill.
She said there is no underground tunnel system that affords safe passage for MPs to get to the West Block, leaving them no choice but to go on the street.
“Given the amount of security that visitors go through to get into any of our buildings, it seems like a huge lapse in security procedures that people are able to approach and intimidate and harass politicians and staff when they’re trying to do their jobs,” she said.
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Immigration Minister Marc Miller is among politicians who have been confronted on the Hill. The interactions, which feature individuals yelling at the minister while getting close to him and staff, have been posted to social media.
Mr. Miller told The Globe and Mail on Tuesday that there is a question of whether this is a legitimate form of interaction and if people are really looking for discourse.
“Or, is it thinly veiled harassment for another purpose?” he said, adding he has safety concerns, particularly for staff.
Mr. Miller’s office in his Montreal riding has also been vandalized.
“The reality is if someone like me feels intimidated or threatened, you are weakening the institutions we represent and the offices we hold,” he said.
The PPS is responsible for security of Parliament, its premises, parliamentarians, staff, guests and visitors to the Hill. Its operational jurisdiction does not include Wellington St., the street located in front of Parliament Hill. The policing of city streets is the responsibility of Ottawa Police.
Jurisdictional challenges, particularly related to protections on Wellington, have generated criticism, such as during the 2022 convoy when protesters refused to move big rig trucks parked in downtown Ottawa that prompted one of the largest police responses in Canadian history.
Ottawa Police are in the process of building up a “federal district” over time where officers will be assigned to work full-time. The past federal budget pledged $50-million over five years designed to bolster the presence of Ottawa Police near Parliament Hill.
There is a process being followed to secure the federal funds, Chief Stubbs said. He would not specify how many officers will be involved in the federal division efforts. He also said that police would be more active in the area.
On Tuesday afternoon, five uniformed Ottawa Police officers could be seen on duty across the street from an entrance to West Block. A pair of officers from the PPS could be seen standing nearby. Across Wellington St. in front of Parliament Hill, a PPS officer was standing atop a flight of stairs.
A couple of protesters were visible, sitting in lawn chairs on either side of the street. One had a flag with a profane slogan referring to the Prime Minister.
The deteriorating security situation in the capital appeared to reach a crescendo last Tuesday when NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confronted individuals who were hurling derogatory comments at him.
The interaction was captured on video and later, he issued a statement saying bullies in Ottawa had been “spewing hate and harassing Canadians who don’t agree with them.” PPS officers could also be seen watching the situation unfold. On Facebook, Mr. Angus said he was glad that Mr. Singh, who is trained in martial arts, “knows how to defend himself and stood up to the goons.”
“So many others don’t,” he wrote.
After the incident with Mr. Singh, PPS said it was monitoring threats and unfolding events and would intervene as required. For security reasons, it said it would not provide specifics on additional security measures.
Ms. Damoff said she fully supports peoples’ right to protest but fears someone is going to be attacked. In other countries, politicians have been killed, she said.
“I don’t think anybody wants us to be in a position where someone is injured and killed and then we go, ‘Oh gosh, we should have done more,’ and we’re wrapped up in jurisdictional disputes about who’s responsible for security.”
With a report from Ian Bailey