Protest challenges CANSEC weapons show in Ottawa; thirteen arrested at demonstration upholding international laws

Published by Brent Patterson on May 29, 2025May 29, 2025

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More than 300 people took part in a protest on May 28 in opposition to the CANSEC weapons show taking place at the EY Centre in Ottawa.

Companies that the American Friends Service Committee (the Quakers) has documented as profiting from genocide in Gaza linked to weapons transfers to Israel were among the exhibitors at CANSEC despite the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) preliminary ruling in January 2024 in which the court found that it is “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.

Photo: Ottawa-area Quakers were present at the demonstration against the CANSEC arms show, May 28, 2025.

Obligations given ICJ ruling

After the ICJ ruling, three Toronto-based law professors commented: “Properly understood, the order should dramatically alter both the foreign and domestic policy decisions of Israel’s allies, including Canada and the United States.”

“The obligation to prevent genocide, combined with the court’s finding of a serious risk of genocide, means that all parties to the Genocide Convention [ratified by Canada in 1952] must refrain from taking steps that would actively frustrate the effective implementation of the court’s order.”

They add: “Because the ICJ found a serious risk of genocide in Gaza, continuing to export arms to Israel would be illegal [under the Export and Import Permits Act where Canada’s ascension to the Arms Trade Treaty is reflected]. It would also be flagrantly inconsistent with Canada’s obligation to prevent genocide, and could expose Canada and Canadian officials to liability for participation in genocide.”

Photo: General Dynamics displays at CANSEC 155mm artillery shell used extensively against Palestinians.

“Aiding and abetting” crimes

Amnesty International has also highlighted that the legal concepts of “corporate complicity” in and the “aiding and abetting” of international crimes could in the future apply to arms companies that continue supplying weapons in the knowledge that they may be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of human rights.

Arms shows have banned companies

The protest against CANSEC – whose exhibitors included the Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems and representatives of the Israeli military – also came following the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision in November 2024 that issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli prime minister and defence minister.

While both France and Chile have banned Israeli weapons companies from exhibiting at arms shows, the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), the Global Affairs Canada-funded lobby group that organizes CANSEC, took no such action and has not commented on the court rulings or the obligations of weapons companies under Canadian law and the Genocide Convention.

Thirteen arrested

Among the 13 arrested was a medic and a photographer. One protest participant injured by the police was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Questions are now being raised about the aggressive tactics of the police and the arsenal deployed against the protest.

There are also deep concerns that the arrests happened after protest organizers had repeatedly communicated to the police liaison team that the protest was concluding. Despite this, Ottawa Police Service officers began pushing and grabbing protest participants near the end of the planned protest.

The arrests also occurred after mainstream media reporters had left.

We continue to follow this.

News reports: 13 arrested outside CANSEC weapons fair (CBC News), Police arrest 13 protesters opposing CANSEC military trade show (Ottawa Citizen), Ottawa police arrest 13 anti-war protesters demonstrating against arms show (Canadian Press), 13 people arrested following protest of defence industry convention in Ottawa (CTV).

Further reading: General Dynamics displays artillery shell implicated in controversial deal, Ottawa Police arrest 13 at protest against CANSEC arms show (May 29, 2025).

PHOTO-JOURNAL OF PROTEST AGAINST CANSEC, May 28, 2025