PROTESTS AGAINST CANSEC 2025 MARKED BY INCREASED POLICING BY OPP AND OPS, VIOLENCE, AND ARRESTS
Protests against CANSEC’s role in supporting the genocide in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian territories, alongside Canada’s continued financing of arms development, began at 7a.m. on May 29 outside the EY Centre in Ottawa. CANSEC, Canada’s largest defence and security arms show, sees federal backing alongside support by groups such as the Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industries (CADSI).
The protest assembled following calls by local organizing groups on social media, meeting outside the convention centre with two groups stationed at the Uplands O-Train station and at the Uplands Dr. and Research Priv. intersection.
Police presence indicated a marked increase in security-related concerns by Ottawa police from the previous year, with several special constables positioned outside the Uplands station entrance, alongside an additional thirty Ottawa Police Services (OPS) officers at one entrance into the trade show. A hired private security force, Toersa Security, was also present.
Protesters located outside the station announced that “this is Canada’s biggest weapons fair,” with the goal of “meeting these war criminals where they are” while “the companies dropping bombs on Gaza are here now.” Signs reading “CANSEC KILLS” were held while protesters chanted “shutdown CANSEC!”
Organizing groups such as Migrante Canada and International Commission for Human Rights in the Philippines (CHIRP) were present and spoke while holding a mascot of Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr., highlighting the leader’s solicitation of weapons from the United States. As well, a representative from Last Generation Canada stated that “this is not just a genocide, it’s an ecocide!”
One speaker also criticized the Ottawa Police Services by highlighting the force’s $388.7 million budget (an increase of $16.3 million over the previous year), “(…) shame on them for protecting war profiteers.” Police stationed near the protest reacted to the claim by laughing and facing away from the crowd.
The second group was positioned southbound past the intersection. Protesters were dressed as doctors and held up bloody hands while chanting “murderer” and telling incoming attendees to “stop killing children.” Following the formation of the group protests, OPS restricted movement across roads and crosswalks, leading to the intersection to become increasingly crowded by the renewed police force.
INCREASED POLICING BY 8A.M.
By 8a.m., police divisions including B11, B12, B21, B22, B31, and B32 were deployed and positioned throughout the protests.
Protesters then moved from the Uplands O-Train station to block the northbound section of Uplands Dr., forming a line across each lane at 8:02a.m. Police then attempted to reroute oncoming traffic by directing drivers to drive on the shoulder of the road beside the blockade, where attendees could then turn into the convention center.
Protesters on the southbound portion of Uplands Dr. then moved towards a partial blockade of the intersection at 8:06a.m., opening green and red smoke canisters once formed. By 8:12a.m., a full block of the southbound road was established and then moved towards the intersection at 8:18a.m.
Once the southbound blockade was fully formed, protesters linked arms and laid signs at their feet. Those on the sidewalk adjacent to the road stood by managing a cart speaker system, gave out water and food, and aided in supporting groups such as the Ottawa Quakers and the Communist Party of Canada.
One officer with the badge number 1883 from the B32 division proceeded to posture in the face of a protester’s camera while yelling “get a good picture yet?” as Fulcrum reporters stood by. When protesters attempted to obtain footage of the incident, the officer remained still and avoided contact with cameras.
By 8:30a.m., paramedic and fire police divisions were also present. OPS located at the southbound portion of Uplands Dr. rerouted traffic through the airport and then through Research Priv. into the convention. Tactical police and vans were spotted parking under the O-Train bridge at 8:36a.m., while additional OPS arrived to enforce the entrance to the convention.
Restriction of movement across the intersection temporarily relaxed at the edges of the western portion. As a protester crossed from south to north across the intersection, as one officer (2976) watched them pass. After a discussion between officers, attempts to cross within the barricaded intersections were met with aggression/resistance from officers. At 8:50a.m., as the northbound blockade moved towards the intersection, another individual located on the sidewalk was shoved by officer 2979 to prevent them from stepping down onto the road.
Police communications by 9am indicated intent to “half or move the lines” and then center the protest in the middle of the intersection, which would result in the complete obstruction of both roads by policing. By 9:30a.m., over 270 officers were present before further officers from A1, A2, A3, A4, and A22 were brought in. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) also began to communicate and organize with OPS officers.
Officers briefly blocked the east and west portions of the intersection, resulting in complete blockade of the entrance to the convention, before the arrival of another contingent of officers at 9:38a.m. The protest was then encircled and isolated from members standing on the sidewalk while officers wielding tear-gas cannons were positioned outside the convention center.
POLICE SHOVE PROTESTERS TOWARDS ENTRANCE
Police then began moving inwards towards both groups of protesters at 10:02a.m., shoving them towards the entrance of CANSEC, and forcibly moving individuals during reports of injury by officer 2499 at 10:06a.m.
The protest was tightly controlled by police by 10:11a.m., with additional protesters on the northbound sidewalk watching the engagement. One officer commented to another officer to then “blend numbers with OPP and OPS, when it gets handsy, and any time there is an arrest, it will be made by Ottawa Police.”
By 10:14a.m., officers then attempted to shove protesters once more, resulting in eleven arrests, including a reported medic and one independent journalist. Officers pressed one detainee onto the concrete before pulling the individual up and away from the rest of the protest. After five minutes, an officer communicated to others the intent to “open up the circle” and “let any protesters wanting to leave out.”
Several minutes after this order, the circle opened up and signalled for the chain of protesters to move, resulting in the slow movement of protesters until they reached the crosswalk.
The remaining contingent of protesters on the crosswalk remained in position until discussions between organizers and the police began, wherein the group then gradually moved away, linked together.
By 10:45a.m., officers from A1, A2, A3, and A4, alongside other tactical officers began to disperse while remaining officers received snacks and refreshments. Officers that did not disperse still left the intersection obstructed.
Minutes later, the protest began to dissipate. A remaining group of protesters, attempting to console an individual who was choked and reportedly had their ribs bruised by an officer, was then encircled by OPS, where officers arrested an individual before leaving. The aforementioned choked individual was then hospitalized for their injuries.
PROTESTER RECOUNTS POLICE VIOLENCE
The Fulcrum then talked with protesters, who requested anonymity, and received several testimonies.
One protester involved in the encircled group stated that “two officers, an OPS and special constable, choked me along with two other individuals.” Reports of choking by officers were noted by other protesters who commented that “officers were pushing us by our throats in the crowd.” An additional protester stated that “an officer kept playing with the holster of his gun while facing me.”
Protesters then moved to Elgin St. Police Station, to demand release of those detained that morning. An additional arrest occurred, resulting in a total of thirteen arrests related to the CANSEC protests.
Twelve individuals were released from the Elgin St. Police Station by 1:40a.m. As of publication, all thirteen individuals have been released. Only four protesters were released without charges.
Editors Note: This article has been updated following new information regarding charges related to protesters as of May 30.
