Five people are facing charges of mischief after the building housing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office was sprayed with pink paint.
This is the second such demonstration in less than a year organized by Last Generation Canada, the self-proclaimed “civil resistance” group, which claimed responsibility.
The group, formerly known as On2Ottawa, aims to demand government action on the climate crisis. Spokeswoman Laura Sullivan said the group also wants a national fire agency that could better prepare the country for wildfires.
Mme Sullivan says further disruptions can be expected throughout the week.
Ottawa police say five people were arrested while blocking the intersection outside the building and all five are facing mischief charges.
“We are a non-violent civil resistance campaign,” said Laura Sullivan.
In 2023, On2Ottawa organized multiple protests and acts of vandalism. Their targets, painted pink, included a gigantic replica of the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria; a painting by Tom Thompson at the National Gallery of Canada, in Ottawa; and the Toronto sign on Nathan Phillips Square in the city’s downtown.
They opt for pink because “it’s a bold, eye-catching color,” M saidme Sullivan.
She said the organization is an environmental group, but also works to call attention to the human destruction caused by climate change.
On2Ottawa protester Casey Hatherly also pleaded guilty to trespassing and paid a $600 fine after being arrested at the 2023 Juno Awards ceremony in Edmonton.
During a performance by singer Avril Lavigne, Hatherly took the stage topless with climate protest statements written on her torso.