OTTAWA. June 1 — About 250 people, the most ever in recent years, protested ‘Canada’s Largest Global Defence & Security Trade Show’ for 2022. This year’s protest theme was: ‘Oppose CANSEC Weapons Fair’. It began at 7 am and ended about 10:30 am. A few activists continued next day.
The event was hosted by Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Anti-Imperialist Alliance and World BEYOND War. Many peace groups participated.
See my 122 photos — More photos + videos #Cancel CANSEC
The David and Goliath scenario unfolded quickly. While hundreds of participants gathered outside the EY Centre in Ottawa to deliver peace messages as cars arrived, an estimated 12,000 members of Canada’s military-industrial-parliament complex conducted their lethal business inside.
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| Collage of most of the signs and banners. Some were in French and other languages. |
What struck me this year was how many young people turned out, and the protest was global. A cluster of signs protested conflicts in India, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico.
The youth exerted much more energy than most of my generation of protesters did in the past. Using a loud speaker, they chanted “Who? WE! When? NOW! We’re going to bring imperialism down!” (17 sec. video)./div>
Since 1989, the business of arms trade shows have faced strong opposition in Ottawa, but the government always gave in to big business. In 2009 I began to volunteer as a peace photographer and reporter for these annual events.
Some persistently blocked pedestrians and cars, shouting sharp words:
- ‘Go Home.’
- ‘Terrorists.’
- ‘Shame on you.’
- ‘Stop Having Blood on Your Hands.’
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| Three courageously laid on the street to block traffic. |
Some used blow horns to shame the warmongers. All proudly emphasized our many peace messages against escalating wars. Among the two dozen police present were a few liaison officers who made sure the protestors rights were respected. No one was arrested, but a few were given warnings.
Inside the EY Centre, arms dealers, international buyers, government officials, and others came to negotiate lucrative contracts, and lobby for larger military budgets as NATO is preparing for a possible WW3. The Ukraine war was much on their minds sparking large profits on the stock market. The profit motive seems to have taken over for any chance of getting to know the stranger and working cooperatively for win-win solutions. The threat of a nuclear catastrophe was ignored. Is anyone listening?
The next day, June 2, a few protesters came and they were prohibited from posting signs on the fences used for many years. They decided to move across the street and hold their signs where they could be seen by entering cars.
See all my illustrated CANSEC Ottawa Reports Since 2009 and links to reports on 13 Ottawa Peace Festivals from 2007 to 2019. For the 2022 event, see my 122 photos, and more photos and videos at #Cancel CANSEC.
More
World Beyond War. ‘Hundreds Protest North America’s Largest Weapons Fair’. The Bullet, War/Peace. June 3, 2022. Copy at World BEYOND War.
Hundreds protest, block entrances to North America’s largest weapons fair in Ottawa, by World BEYOND War, NB Media Co-op, June 1, 2022.
Hundreds gather at the EY Centre in protest against the weapons and defence industry, CityNews Ottawa, Jun 1, 2022.
To Get Into Canada’s Weapons Fair, You’ll Have to Walk Through an Anti-war Protest, by Natasha Bulowski, Canada's National Observer, June 2, 2022. Copy at World BEYOND War.
The Ottawa police and private security at #cansec2022 attempted to suppress the people standing against arms dealers. They manhandle …, Anti-Imperialist Alliance, Facebook
'Shut Down This War Machine': Peace Activists Block Entrances to Major Weapons Fair in Canada, by Kenny Stancil, Common Dreams, June 1, 2022.
#CancelCANSEC, Facebook
Protest against the CANSEC arms fair "The people united. We'll never be defeated!", YouTube (video 16 sec) National Observer.
Protest denounces CANSEC arms trade show, by Brent Patterson, rambble.ca, May 24, 2022
