I showed up to see this movie and I'm not happy it was cancelled

OTTAWA – A suspicious package and a rash of phone calls threatening protests shut down the planned screening of an anti-Iran documentary at Library and Archives Canada Tuesday night.

Iran’s embassy in Ottawa had tried to censor the film, Iranium, by complaining to the national library, which cancelled it until Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore stepped in.

But after library officials fielded calls they say threatened protests, they reversed course again and re-cancelled the event just hours before it was due to start.

They called in police and shut down the building after somebody hand-delivered suspicious letters, forcing out researchers working in the archives.

By 6 p.m., three police cars and two fire trucks sat in front of the closed building. There were no protesters outside the building and just a handful of staff inside.

About 90 minutes later., police had investigated and were satisfied the letters weren't dangerous.

The Free Thinking Film Society had paid to rent a theatre in the library to screen the movie. Their spokesman called it chilling.

“It’s like the Iranians have set something in motion and they’re able to shut down a film in the capital of Canada,” said Fred Litwin.

“They obviously thought they could push around some people and they were right.”