I think the conspiracy people were posting in minutes.
As for the swift and decisive response, the Seargeant-at-Arms was a 29 year veteran of the RCMP and had had many years' experience of bodyguard and security details. He was the best man you could have wanted to have there, yet the only time people ever see him is the ceremony when Parliament opens and he marches in carrying the mace. This was probably the first time a lot of Canadians noticed there was such an officer. And he made far more difference than the hundreds of policemen and soldiers patrolling downtown Ottawa with assault rifles for hours afterwards. I recall when I worked on and around Parliament Hill, in the late 80s in a military capacity, a constant figure of fun were the Special Constables. These were people who couldn't get into the regular RCMP but were instead recruited to provide security at airports, official residences and Parliament, places like that because they didn't have enough regular Constables to meet the demand. At first they were armed with short-barreled MP-5 submachine guns, but after more than a few had shot themselves through the foot or leg with them, they took them away....
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Date: 2014-10-23 10:14 pm (UTC)As for the swift and decisive response, the Seargeant-at-Arms was a 29 year veteran of the RCMP and had had many years' experience of bodyguard and security details. He was the best man you could have wanted to have there, yet the only time people ever see him is the ceremony when Parliament opens and he marches in carrying the mace. This was probably the first time a lot of Canadians noticed there was such an officer.
And he made far more difference than the hundreds of policemen and soldiers patrolling downtown Ottawa with assault rifles for hours afterwards.
I recall when I worked on and around Parliament Hill, in the late 80s in a military capacity, a constant figure of fun were the Special Constables. These were people who couldn't get into the regular RCMP but were instead recruited to provide security at airports, official residences and Parliament, places like that because they didn't have enough regular Constables to meet the demand. At first they were armed with short-barreled MP-5 submachine guns, but after more than a few had shot themselves through the foot or leg with them, they took them away....