Stop CANSEC 2019

Peace Movement Determined to Shut Down CANSEC Arms Trade Show in Canada

OTTAWA, ONT., May 29th, 2019. — 100 peace activists paraded in front of the EY Centre entrance, adjacent to Ottawa International Airport, during Canada’s largest military trade fair, CANSEC 2019, held May 29. See 106 photos.

Protesters slowed incoming traffic to persuade some of the 11,500 registrants that Canada should sell peace not war, and stop CANSEC in the future.

Backed up traffic stopped every 30 seconds.

Police cooperated with protesters. Relations between the Ottawa City Police and the activists were cordial at the entry gate of the EY Centre. When police first met with activists on site in early that morning, the officers suggested a friendly arrangement to allow for equal time for their police work, and our peace work. Protesters could stop the traffic for 30 seconds, then allow the traffic to proceed for 30 seconds — stop and go every minute. That eventually stretched the traffic at the gate to a 100-second stall.

We were allowed to block 2 of the 3 entrances to the EY Centre. The northern entrance was used by security. Protesters divided into 2 groups, then many joined to hear the speakers. The protest lasted about 2 hours.

This arrangement slowed down the traffic considerably, up to the freeway. Show attendees in vehicles were exposed to about 2 minutes of our peace messages and concerns for discontinuing CANSEC.

Event co-organizer Brent Patterson reported: ‘The picket lines also helped snarl traffic on Uplands Drive [in front of the EY Centre] and delay the cars, taxis and shuttle buses making their way to hear Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's opening keynote address.’

We noticed that nearly all the cars passing by us to the parking lot had closed windows. Though most CANSEC attendees did not hear, or would not listen to our message, nearly all could see our signs and banners.

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Also see

• 106 photos of this CANSEC 2019 protest by Koozma J. Tarasoff.
• Report by event organizer Brent Patterson. ‘The movement is growing to shut down CANSEC’, Rabble.ca, May 30, 2019.
• Audio of speakers by Ken ‘Kensky’ Billings. Digileak Global MAY 01-31_2019, slide 88.
• CANSEC Ottawa Reports Since 2009
• Next Meetup: "Ontario vs. the War Machine", Saturday, June 29, 2019 (7-9 PM), Toronto — Learn about 'World BEYOND War', a global grassroots network advocating for the end to all wars!
• Ottawa Peace Festival 2019, (TBA for) September-October.