Police say person arrested following anti-regime protest at Iran’s empty embassy

By Canadian Press on January 13, 2026.

OTTAWA — Ottawa police say they arrested someone on trespassing-related charges after Iran’s shuttered embassy was defaced during an anti-regime protest Monday.

Police say there were called to the embassy around 5:50 a.m. when someone reported that a person had jumped a fence at the embassy.

The building has been vacant since Canada cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012.

Police say they are aware of a video circulating on social media which is being investigated for “other possible offences.”

A video shows a protester behind a security fence removing Iran’s national emblem from above a set of exterior doors of the building and placing a small flagpole against a gated window.

The Canadian Press has not verified the video, which reportedly was recorded early Monday morning, but it has confirmed that the national emblem was no longer above the exterior doors as of Monday afternoon.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2026.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press