Man arrested on Parliament Hill, charged for carrying weapon, appears in court

OTTAWA – A Toronto man arrested for allegedly carrying a hidden weapon at the entrance to the Centre Block of Parliament was remanded in custody Wednesday.

Yasin Ali, 56, was detained by the Parliamentary Protective Service on Tuesday after a security screening discovered what police say was a knife.

After a brief court appearance Wednesday on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon, he was remanded in custody.

Defence lawyer Peter Azzi said Ali is due back in court on Friday and will be assessed by a doctor.

Neither Azzi nor the RCMP would discuss media reports that described the weapon as a meat cleaver.

Security on Parliament Hill has been tight since Oct. 22, 2014, when Michael Zehaf Bibeau gunned down a soldier at the nearby National War Memorial and sprinted through the main doors of Centre Block.

Moments later, the rifle-wielding Zehaf Bibeau died in a hail of bullets just outside the Library of Parliament, leading to to a major reorganization of security on the Hill.

The RCMP had been responsible for the grounds of the parliamentary precinct, while House of Commons and Senate security forces had jurisdiction inside the Parliament Buildings.

The three have merged into a single service to manage day-to-day security on Parliament Hill.