Hamilton Police (HPS) have charged a man accused of becoming unruly in front of some staffers at a city hall service counter last Friday.
A police spokesperson told Global News that a 50-year-old picked up a metal post attached to a velvet rope barrier, used for blocking off a large art piece, and swung it.
The incident forced some employees to exit the building.
“He smashed the post against the wall leaving marks on the wall and denting the post,” HPS spokesperson Jackie Penman said in a email.
The suspect would eventually be detained by security until police arrived.
He’s facing a mischief under $5,000 offence and was issued three tickets under the Trespass to Property Act.
The incident comes just weeks after the city began installing bollards as part of an enhanced security plan, approved in 2021 at a cost of about $700,000.
The barriers, meant to discourage potential vehicle attacks or trespassing, are being installed around Jackson, Bay and Main streets.
In the summer of 2019, the city hall forecourt had become a popular destination for demonstrators supporting multiple causes, according to a city staff report.
That work is expected to finish in July.