Canadian PM hid in store cupboard while gun battle was fought nearby

[arikara]

Canada’s prime minister, Stephen Harper, hid in a cupboard used to store electrical boxes and a ladder while a gun battle ensued in a nearby hallway of the parliament building in Ottawa this week, it emerged on Friday.

...

As he entered the building, parliamentary security guards opened fire on Zehaf-Bibeau, a petty criminal with a history of mental illness, brandishing a 30-30, lever-action Winchester rifle that he’d moments ago used to kill Nathan Cirillo, an honor guard on duty at the nearby National War Memorial.
...

Parliament resumed on Thursday, a day after the attack, in a show of resilience by Canada’s politicians. The Canadian government indicated that it intends to speed up proposals to toughen the country’s anti-terror laws in the wake of the attack, including a measure that would allow “preventative detention”.

The governing Conservatives have made no secret of their plan to install new anti-terror powers, giving the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) more powers to track, investigative and detain would-be homegrown terrorists. Harper promised the proposals would be brought forward.

...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/24/canadian-pm-stephen-harper-ottawa-shooting

Meanwhile CBC is using headlines like "The Fear Within"

So.
Harper hid out, first in a closet then somewhere else for the rest of the day, reminiscent of the way Bush hid out after 911. Not that I'm comparing the attack of a lone mentally ill shooter to 911 in any way shape or form. However, Harper is using this unfortunate event to ram through "anti-terror" legislation instead of reviewing and revising the atrocious way we treat our mentally ill people here in Canada.

And Kevin Vickers, the house of commons sergeant-at-arms, deserves a medal for the way he handled himself.

[Maedhros]

1. "Preventative detention."

Welcome to the dark side, Canada.

[Sanity Claws]

2. Harper and Bush are very much alike

And that is NOT a good thing.

[CHIMO]

3. He hid

In the closet until Netanyahu and Obama instructed him on what to do!

[laundry_queen]

4. That sounds about right. nt

[arikara]

5. The funniest comment I've seen

and there are many is "Crouching Stephen, Hidden Harper"

[Rainforestgoddess]

6. I wonder if he regrets abolishing the long gun registry now? N/t

[arikara]

7. Probably not

his base would riot and he's after bigger fish in the sea.

He's already got a new patriot style act all ready to go, including something about making comments sympathetic to "terrorist" activities over the internets. And anybody who disagrees with his policies is considered to be a terrorist. I expect that's what he'll use to take on the First Nations and the rest of us here in BC in his quest to punch a pipeline through and supertanker tar sands to China. If the Chinese even want it anymore.

[Ken Burch]

8. Never knew a "sergeant-at-arms" would actually CARRY arms.

Kudos to Mr. Vickers.

Just waiting for the first person to ask: "When did Harper come out of the closet?".

[arikara]

9. He didn't actually carry it on him

It was locked in a box somewhere and he retrieved it.

There were some really funny comments in The Star newspaper closet article, that being one of them. The gossip goes that Mrs Harper is actually the one in another type of closet. The posing and hand holding going on these days by the Harpers are just photo ops for the build up to the election. He's the type of a guy who shakes his little kid's hand the first day of school when he sees him off instead of hugging him. A real cold fish.