Journalists and photographer face threats and arrests by Ottawa Police during CANSEC arms show protest
Photo: Radio-Canada journalist Claudia Richard reports on the protest at the CANSEC arms show, May 28, 2025. Photo by Koozma J. Tarasoff.
The treatment of journalists by the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) during the protest at the CANSEC arms show is raising concerns. The protest took place outside the EY Centre in Ottawa the morning of May 28, 2025.
The United Nations agency UNESCO has contextualized: “Hundreds of journalists around the world trying to cover protests have been harassed, beaten, intimidated, arrested, put under surveillance, abducted, and had their equipment damaged.”
Citizen journalist arrested
The Ottawa Citizen reports: “A volunteer-operated media outlet is decrying the arrest of one of its volunteer journalists at a protest opposing the CANSEC military trade show in Ottawa on May 28. The North Star, an independent media organization, said Ramona Murphy was one of the 13 individuals arrested by the Ottawa Police Service during demonstrations that sought to disrupt the annual major arms show.”
Photo: A handcuffed journalist placed in Ottawa Police Service van outside the CANSEC arms show, May 28, 2025. Photo by Koozma J. Tarasoff.
The Ottawa Citizen article adds: “The Ottawa Police Service could not confirm whether or not there was an exclusion zone set up for media during the protests against CANSEC. An exclusion zone is a practice by police to place journalists in a specific area and away from a police operation.”
It is unclear why the police could not confirm there was not an exclusion zone.
A report by the New York City-based Committee to Protect Journalists and the Thomson Reuters Foundation has noted: “Courts have ruled that police should not set up ‘exclusion zones’ which prevent access to journalists, as journalists should have the ability to decide what is newsworthy and should not be prevented from pursuing stories by police, so long as they are not interfering with police duties.”
Photographer arrested
A photographer documenting the protest was also arrested by Ottawa police and forcefully restrained with a leather gloved officer gripping his neck while his camera lay on the pavement a short distance away.
Photo: Photographer arrested by Ottawa Police Service while documenting the protest at the CANSEC arms show, May 28, 2025. Photo by Koozma J. Tarasoff.
Journalist threatened by OPS sergeant
Montreal-based journalist Lital Khaikin, accredited to report from inside CANSEC, was harassed by an Ottawa Police Service officer as she was reporting on the protest on Uplands Drive in front of the EY Centre.
Khaikin says: “I was clearly wearing the CANSEC media badge at the time and may have still had the UNIFOR freelance card clipped to my backpack as well.”
She adds: “He threatened to call inside to get my media pass revoked, gave an ultimatum to either join the protest or leave entirely, and started to radio in to report me. He did not provide rationale or explanation.”
Khaikin also highlights: “The behaviour of the police officer highlights concerns for freelance journalists who may not have accessible and rapid support from media outlets while working, including in response to escalating situations with police and restrictions on reporting.”
The importance and rights of journalists
The United Nations has stated: “Journalism is fundamental for sustainable development, human rights protection and democratic consolidation, but remains a dangerous and too often deadly profession.”
In a guide on the legal rights journalists have when covering protests in Canada, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Thomson Reuters Foundation note: “Canada has strong laws protecting journalists as part of the constitutional right to freedom of expression, including the right to gather news. Law enforcement officers are broadly aware of these rights, but may not always observe them to the fullest in every scenario.”
They highlight: “Unlawful state conduct can be challenged later in court.”
Video still: Radio-Canada video of police arrests outside the CANSEC arms show, Ottawa, May 28, 2025.
There is a growing list of journalists, photo-journalists and filmmakers who have been arrested by Canadian police in protest situations. This includes Justin Brake, Brandi Morin, Jerome Turner, Michael Toledano and Amber Bracken.
Video still (at 12:12): Photojournalist Amber Bracken was arrested by the RCMP on November 19, 2021, as she covered the Wet’suwet’en resistance to the Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline being built on their territory without consent.
PBI and protection mechanism for journalists
In 2020 UNESCO noted: “Since 2015, at least 10 journalists have been killed while covering protests, according to UNESCO [the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization], whose Director-General has denounced their killings.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented the deaths of 124 journalists in 2024, including 82 in Palestine and 5 in Mexico.
Peace Brigades International (PBI) accompanies the work of Espacio OSC to strengthen the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in Mexico where at least 141 journalists and other media workers have been killed since 2000. The Mechanism was created in 2012, but the killing of eight journalist enrolled in the program points to the urgent need for more to be done.
In Guatemala, PBI now accompanies Maya Q’eqchi’ frontline journalist Carlos Ernesto Choc. He experienced criminalization and threats following his coverage of a protest by Maya Q’eqchi’ communities and artisanal fishermen, where fisherman Carlos Maaz was killed on May 27, 2017. We spoke with Carlos in August 2023.
We continue to follow the situation faced by journalists and media workers.
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