Around 200 demonstrators gathered on Thursday to protest the CANSEC arms trade show, held at the Cohere convention centre in Ottawa's south end. The protest, organized by the Shut Down CANSEC campaign, marked the largest demonstration against Canada's premier weapons exhibition.
Protesters assembled around 7 a.m., using whistles, drums, and jeers to voice their opposition as attendees entered the conference. While there were minor altercations when demonstrators attempted to block a crosswalk, the event remained largely peaceful, according to Ottawa Police spokesperson Julie Kavanagh, who confirmed no arrests were made.
Demonstrators carried banners listing names of children killed in Gaza and displayed images of Prime Minister Mark Carney, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rosie Lucente, spokesperson for Shut Down CANSEC, emphasized the importance of protesting what she called "the largest weapons trade show in Canada." She stated, "They sell their weapons to Israel, to the Philippine government, to other governments that are carrying out genocide. They fuel dictatorships, and every deal made here at CANSEC is a death sentence to a colonized person, to working people all around the world."
This year's CANSEC, held May 27-28 and hosted by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), was the largest in its history. CADSI spokesperson Monique Scotti reported approximately 20,000 registered delegates, though final attendance numbers are pending. In comparison, 2024 saw 12,678 attendees, and 2025 had 14,596. The event featured 320 exhibitors and 100 delegations from 60 countries, up from 285 exhibitors in 2025 and 265 in 2024.
Attendance at CANSEC is restricted to industry, military, and government personnel. The surge in exhibits and participation is attributed to Prime Minister Carney's significant increase in Canada's defence budget. The Liberal government has pledged $180 billion for military procurement over the next decade and $290 billion for defence and security-related infrastructure.
Dr. Yipeng Ge, a family physician with Ottawa Healthcare Professionals for Palestine, argued that CANSEC contradicts healthcare values. "We take care of patients, we think about community well-being, we think about healing," he said. "What's happening behind us at this conference, CANSEC, is the buying and selling of weapons and technologies that fuel an industry of war, terror, and genocide."
