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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzhUuJwoAq4&feature=youtu.be

The exercise then moved to downtown Montreal where roads were closed to traffic and pedestrians as Montreal 360 simulated an attack by gunmen centred around the Black Watch armoury and police headquarters. Blank cartridges were fired and fake grenades exploded in this scenario that raged on the empty streets.

For the full effect, “victims” wore makeup and carried fake blood bags to test the lifesaving skills of ambulance crews on the scene.

Police say each business and resident in the area received a note saying the simulation would be taking place.

The large police presence took some people by surprise, while others had heard about the event and came to watch the spectacle.

“I think everybody knows there is a probability that we could be under attack by something so I just think it’s a good idea to practice it so the police are well prepared,” said David Olivia, an exchange student from Denmark, where three people were killed during a shooting in Copenhagen last February.

“I think that makes everyone safer.”

This event was announced just two days earlier and Montreal police declined to do any interviews Saturday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESpAa85LAak&feature=youtu.be

“It’s not a show, it’s a simulation to test the preparedness of the police service and its partners,” says Montreal police spokesman Sgt. Laurent Gingras.

While police have not said there is an imminent threat of terrorism to the city, an internal report obtained by Global News in June classifies the terror threat level in Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, and the Greater Toronto Area at “medium.”