The 'Hero' Ambassador Who Killed a Terrorist in Canada Has Tackled a Protester in Ireland

The man who was celebrated a hero after taking down a gunman on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in 2014 and subsequently became Canada's ambassador to Ireland is being lauded again after tackling another person.

During a ceremony commemorating British soldiers who died during the Easter Rising in 1916, Ambassador Kevin Vickers "intercepted a protester who ran up to the podium," according to Austin Jean, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada.

Vickers, who was appointed to his post in Ireland last year, was representing Canada at the event as a guest of the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charles Finnigan.

"Ambassador Vickers is safe and was not injured during the incident," Jean told VICE News.

Vickers, who was sergeant-at-arms who took down Michael Zehaf-Bibeau during his attack on Parliament Hill in October of 2014, was the "first to react" to a protester, who reportedly stood up during the wreath-laying ceremony and shouted, "This is an insult," according to the Irish Independent.

"This man just ran forward and started screaming, 'It's a disgrace.' He was tackled by somebody and it was only after that I realized it was the Canadian ambassador," an unidentified witness told the paper.

Canadian Ambassador to Ireland Kevin Vickers tackles protester at ceremony to honour British soldiers killed in 1916— RTÉ News (@rtenews)May 26, 2016

Video of the incident at Grangegorman Military Cemetery on Thursday shows Vickers, grabbing hold of the man and pushing him several meters in one direction before disappearing from the frame. Vickers is then seen walking away as the protester is on the ground, being handcuffed by police.

While most are applauding his quick reflexes and bravery, some on social media have called the incident an overreaction.

It's unclear whether there'll be any consequences for Vickers.

Global Affairs Canada's code of conduct for representatives abroad notes, "Regardless of any legal immunity conferred upon representatives abroad, their conduct and actions will be subject to a greater degree of scrutiny and public interest than they would be at home."

"The potential for public scrutiny requires that representatives use good judgement and common sense," the guide continues.

The Easter Rising memorial is not without controversy in the country.

The event has been largely celebrated in recent years by Irish Catholics and those who sought independence from the United Kingdom. As the memorial was specifically for the British soldiers who lost their lives — and not the Irish rebels and civilians who died as a result of shelling from the British military — the protest was not totally a surprise.

And the opposition goes both ways. Last month, street protests cropped up after a memorial was unveiled commemorating the soldiers alongside the civilians, with Sinn Fein, the main Irish independence party, coming out agains the memorial. On the other side, unionists came out last year in opposition to a memorial for the civilians who lost their lives in the fighting.

Justin Ling contributed to this

Follow Tamara Khandaker on Twitter: @anima_tk