inews reports on Elbit at weapons show in London, will The Breach be able to cover CANSEC in Ottawa this year?
Photo by Caolán Magee.
inews.co.uk reports: “Companies selling weapons to Israel have been showcasing missiles at a three-day arms fair in London.”
That article by London/Belfast-based journalist Caolán Magee adds: “The International Training Technology Exhibition (IT2EC) – an annual display of the latest advances in modern warfare – and accompanying Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) conference was held at the Excel arena in Newham, east London, this week.”
“More than 50 nations and 120 companies were invited to the event covered by i, including Elbit Systems UK, a subsidiary of the Israeli firm experts claim manufactured the Hermes 450 drone that killed aid workers in Gaza earlier this month including three Britons.”
Magee then quotes Member of Parliament Kenny MacAskill who says: “It’s bad enough that the UK is complicit in the manufacture and supply of weaponry that’s killing indiscriminately in Gaza. But to be flaunting that is nauseating. It isn’t a game or reality show in Palestine, but unmitigated horror for millions. Arms sales to Israel must cease and so must shows that revel in the carnage being inflicted.”
The full article can be read at Inside UK arms fair where firms selling weapons to Israel showcase lethal missiles.
Inews.co.uk says: “We’re proudly independent and have no agenda when it comes to political disputes – but we won’t hesitate to call out injustice or wrongdoing when we see it, no matter who’s doing it.”
Similarly, The Breach in Canada describes itself as: “An independent media outlet producing critical journalism to help map a just, viable future.”
But in contrast, The Breach was barred from the CANSEC arms show that took place in Ottawa on May 31-June 1, 2023.
The Breach reported: “A CADSI representative told The Breach on Wednesday [May 31] that the media outlet had its accreditation request refused because it might provide ‘negative coverage’. ‘We have the right to deny media access, and we looked at your coverage and you do aggressively critical anti-war journalism’, the representative said on a phone call. When questioned about whether this would be an infringement on press freedoms, the representative offered access that was conditional on The Breach providing positive coverage.”
That article quoted Sarah Abdul-Karim, an organizer with the Ottawa chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement, who said: “The event hosts Israeli arms corporations–like Elbit Systems–that regularly test new military technology on Palestinians and then market them as ‘field-tested’ at arms expos like CANSEC.”
At that time, Abdul-Karim said their goal is to “push the Ottawa City Council to ban CANSEC from operating in Ottawa at all.”
She added: “That’s the message that we want to send today: that we are not okay with this happening every single year in our city, with our government making deals with these war criminals and being part of the imperialist war machine.”
This year the Palestinian Youth Movement, Labour for Palestine, the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS), Anakbayan Ottawa and the Anti-Imperialist Alliance are demanding “from the Government of Canada that there be an independent and in-depth inquiry into CADSI and its direct involvement in human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.”
CANSEC 2024 will take place this coming May 29-30 at the EY Centre.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has already welcomed CANSEC 2024 to Ottawa “on behalf of Members of Ottawa City Council” highlighting “I want to acknowledge CADSI, the guest speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors for dedicating efforts, expertise, services and resources to the successful organization of this annual event.”
The question remains if The Breach or other independent media outlets like The Maple would receive media accreditation this year.
Peace Brigades International provides accompaniment to journalists like Maya Q’eqchi’ reporter Carlos Ernesto Choc in Guatemala who are at risk for their reporting. PBI-Canada will be present at the protest against CANSEC to document/report on the stories coming from organizations, defenders and communities impacted by Canadian weapons sales and to monitor the Ottawa Police response to the demonstration.
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