OTTAWA โ Protesters painted slogans on Wellington Street in front of the Parliamentary precinct on Monday during a pro-Palestine demonstration, and Ottawa police detained two people in connection with the event, police and local media said.
The Ottawa Police Service confirmed officers were on scene in the Wellington and OโConnor area and said two people were taken into custody in relation to the demonstration. Police said no charges had been laid at the time of the announcement and urged the public to respect lawful limits on protest so that property and citizens are protected.
Video and social posts from the scene show activists pouring and spreading paint on Wellington Street and other downtown surfaces as part of a larger week of pro-Palestine actions in the capital that organisers described as civil disobedience to press Ottawa for policy changes. Organisers had called for coordinated demonstrations, vigils, and art actions in recent days.
The @OttawaPolice ultimately bent the knee & allowed unlawful vandalism of the public street while protecting & ensuring no one could interfere.
— Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) September 20, 2025
Two tier policing is very much alive in Canada heavily favoring radical leftists. pic.twitter.com/sgiZD3IoOi
Jewish communal groups responded sharply. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs urged federal and local authorities to protect places of worship, schools and Jewish institutions and called for prompt, decisive action to address acts that create fear in the community. Bโnai Brith Canada said the surge in public incidents targeting Jewish Canadians underscores the need for stronger national measures to combat antisemitism.
Critics of the demonstrations argued that the actions went beyond peaceful protest and amounted to vandalism and public mischief. Police previously described incidents involving paint and attempts to obstruct traffic in downtown Ottawa earlier this year when handling other demonstrations, and said they would assess whether criminal thresholds were met. Ottawa police have published guidance stressing that freedom of expression has reasonable limits to protect citizens and property.
Supporters of the protests defended the actions as political expression and civil disobedience intended to raise awareness of the conflict in Gaza and to pressure the government to adopt policy changes, such as an arms embargo and stronger humanitarian measures. Organisers say their actions are nonviolent and designed to create public attention to a humanitarian crisis.
The incidents come amid an intensifying national conversation about how to balance the right to protest with community safety and the need to counter hate. Ottawaโs public debate has been shaped this year by high-profile demonstrations, occasional clashes with police, and calls from Jewish organisations for clearer enforcement and protection. Federal proposals to strengthen hate-speech and intimidation laws have also been advanced in Ottawa, adding legal context to policing decisions around public displays of inflammatory imagery or slogans.
For many in the Jewish community, the image of paint on streets near Parliament is not abstract. Leaders say such public displays risk normalizing rhetoric that can spill into targeted harassment of Jews and Jewish institutions. They urged police to apply the law consistently and for municipal and federal authorities to accelerate measures that protect vulnerable communities.
Ottawa police asked anyone with information, photos or video from the Wellington Street demonstration to contact investigators. Community members who feel threatened or who witness harassment were encouraged to report incidents to police and to reach out to local Jewish communal organizations for support and guidance.
This article is based on verified information from the Ottawa Police Service, CityNews Ottawa reporting, social posts, and footage from the demonstration, and statements from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Bโnai Brith Canada.