News

Police escalate; arrest 8 protesters

From CANSEC to Parliament Hill, community members protested throughout Ottawa for Canada to end its “complicity” in the genocide of Palestinians. The city-wide protests occur as the University of Ottawa encampment reaches its 31st day on Tabaret Lawn, with four key demands for the university administration, including divestment from Israeli-linked businesses and organizations. Protesters consisted not only of students but community members as well; the U of O encampment cancelled programming for the day due to the various protests.

CANSEC

Starting at 7 a.m., protesters gathered by the hundreds in front of the EY Centre, where CANSEC  — Canada’s annual global defence and security trade show held by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) — was being held. 

Shortly after protesters assembled, they were met with a heavy police presence, which included about 100 officers from 20 units – A41, A32 (Vehicle), A31, A22 (regular and fire), A21, B22, B11, A12 (regular and fire), Special Constable, Ottawa BC, OPP AC, OPP A-2, OPP A-1, A-SV, OPP A-3, OPP A-LL, A4, A-SL, A-LR, A-SC.

Protesters gathered in five groups along Uplands Drive, with the main group of over 80 people leading chants, which included “Shut down CANSEC” and “we say justice, you say how? End the genocide now.” 

Members of the group covered themselves in red paint, symbolizing the blood of Palestinians and chanted at the police who had surrounded the protesters. Some posters being carried also displayed the charred remains of young children who had been killed by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the Rafah tent camp massacre. 

As more police units were dispatched, the officers began restricting access to sidewalks and crosswalks. At the same time, officers escorted CANSEC attendees through the crowd of protesters, who routinely booed them. One attendee told a protester, who was carrying a poster that read “CANSEC arms genocide”, that he “[doesn’t] care; I’m rolling in money,” and another attendee blew kisses out the window of his car.

The Fulcrum confirmed that around 10 a.m.,  a CANSEC attendee punched a protester, who was in her early twenties, in the temple. It is not known whether the protester has been part of the U of O encampment. Sources tell the Fulcrum that a police officer examined the individual’s injuries and called an ambulance. The police arrested the CANSEC attendee and the protester’s older sister after the sister attempted to check on the protester’s injuries in the ambulance.

Eight individuals were arrested in front of CANSEC, seven of them were protesters. Throughout the day, five of the protesters were released from police custody, with at least one being charged with “mischief.” However, one of the protesters arrested at CANSEC is an organizer at the U of O encampment on Tabaret Lawn, and is being held overnight at the police station, along with a community member also arrested at the protest.

The organizer attempted to cross the street into an area blocked off by police and was subsequently thrown to the ground by three officers, who held his hands behind his back as they pushed him around and stretched out the collar of his shirt.

The CANSEC protest dispersed around 10:40 a.m., with many protesters heading to the Ottawa Police Service headquarters at 474 Elgin St., where the detained individuals were being held. 

Parliament Hill

Another scheduled protest of CANSEC began at Parliament Hill at noon, where a stationary group of demonstrators chanted and sang. At the same time, organizers waited for the rest of the group to return from the Elgin Police Station. 

After a couple of speeches, the protest turned into a sit-in, where various community organizations spoke to the crowd about international solidarity and the arms trade. When protesters set up wooden barricades made of plywood around their group, police quickly surrounded them. 

Throughout the hour, police officers broke down the plywood, and readied batons, tear gas canisters, and tasers; officers used batons to push protesters who linked arms but did not use tear gas or tasers. Protesters broke through the double-lined police circle to continue their march towards the Human Rights Monument. Rows of police officers blocked Wellington Street, with an estimated 120 officers lining Parliament Hill, and around 40 following the protest. 

One protester was arrested on Parliament Hill; he was pushed to the ground by a police officer, who held him down with a baton.

OPS Headquarters

Community members protested outside of the Ottawa Police Station on Elgin Street starting at 10:30 a.m., shortly after the EY Centre protest concluded. The protest from Parliament Hill turned toward Elgin Street around 5:50 p.m. and stopped in front of the Elgin Police Station until 8 p.m., joining the already-expanding crowd.

Community members chanted non-stop at the police officers stationed outside the building’s doors, with no interference from police. Chants included “All the police are racist; all they do is protect Zionists/Imperialists,” “OPS what do you say? We can do this all day,” and “oink oink piggy piggy, we’re gonna make your lives shitty.”

The protester who had been arrested on Parliament Hill earlier that day was released at 7:40 p.m., after which the protest dissolved. A small group of demonstrators headed to the U of O encampment.

Update (May 30, 7 p.m.)- The two protesters that were being held overnight have been released.