Ottawa, Hundreds of demonstrators have blocked access to CANSEC, North America’s largest weapons and military technology expo, in protest against what they call Canadian complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The protesters gathered early this morning at the entrances of the EY Centre in Ottawa, confronting delegates from Canadian and Israeli arms companies and military officials. Their message: end the arms trade that enables mass atrocities.
Among the demonstrators were members of the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC-CTI), the International Migrants Alliance – Canada Chapter (IMA Canada), the Palestinian Youth Movement, and other grassroots and anti-war organizations. Together, they called attention to the global links between militarism, displacement, and systemic oppression. “We see the same weapons used to destroy homes in Gaza used to intimidate Indigenous and migrant communities here in Canada,” said a speaker from IMA Canada.
Over the past 18 months, Israel has launched a sustained campaign of air, sea, and ground attacks on Gaza, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to protest organizers. Human rights groups and international legal experts have accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Demonstrators argue that Canada’s military and diplomatic support amounts to complicity in these crimes.
“This is not business as usual. You cannot sell weapons while people are being slaughtered,” said one protester through a megaphone.
Security has locked down parts of the venue. No injuries have been reported, but several arrests have been made.
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