Military trade show draws major protest to Ottawa amid Israel-Hamas war
CTV
Protesters blocked traffic outside a major military industry trade show in Ottawa Wednesday morning before moving on to Parliament Hill to condemn the ongoing violence in Gaza and Canada's arms trade with Israel.
Antiwar protesters moved from Parliament Hill to Ottawa Police Headquarters Wednesday afternoon following a day of demonstrations outside a major military industry trade show in Ottawa.
World Beyond War Canada (WBW) organized the Wednesday morning protest outside the EY Centre, which is hosting the annual CANSEC conference, the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) annual trade show. While CANSEC has faced protests before, this demonstration comes amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and just days after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a camp housing displaced Palestinians, killing at least 45 people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a "tragic mistake."
"The protest was planned to condemn war profiteering in solidarity with Palestinians and people in conflict zones all around the world who have been killed, displaced, and maimed by the weapons being peddled and sold at CANSEC," a news release from WBW said. "The arms manufacturers exhibiting at CANSEC have raked in record profits from the military violence that has brought misery to millions this year – from Palestine to Sudan, from the Congo to Ukraine, from Afghanistan and West Papua to Ethiopia."
During the demonstration, some protesters splashed red paint on the road and laid across it, blocking traffic. A large police presence was in place at the EY Centre Wednesday morning and police said at least five people were arrested.
"This is an on-going demonstration, at the conclusion of the event an update with charges laid will be provided," Ottawa police said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.
CADSI said the protest did not delay any of its programming Tuesday. Close to 7,000 delegates attended the event.
