Canadians flock to Parliament Hill

Ottawa, Canadians returned to the reopened grounds of their Parliament building on Saturday, three days after a homegrown radical rushed in armed with a rifle after killing a soldier in the second domestic attack in a week on the country’s military.

The grounds of the hilltop gothic building, whose clock tower is a centerpiece of Ottawa’s skyline, attracted scores of visitors, many still stunned by Wednesday’s attack, which took place as Prime Minister Stephen Harper was meeting with lawmakers.

The attacks on Monday and Wednesday were the work of Canadian citizens, reportedly recent converts to Islam, who appear to have operated independently, the police said.

The first victim, 53-year-old Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, died when a man ran him over with a car in Quebec, while the second, 24-year-old Corporal Nathan Cirillo, was gunned down while standing a ceremonial watch at a monument to Canada’s war dead near Parliament Hill.

Police presence was light at the grounds, which had been closed to the public since Wednesday. The Parliament building itself remained closed, but House Speaker Andrew Scheer said it would reopen for tours and visits on Monday. — Reuters

Comments

comments