#cansec

A journalist was barred from entering CANSEC, one of the world’s largest arms and weapons ‘defense trade show.’ The organizer stated they did not want to see headlines like, “War mongers gather in Ottawa” and get questions like, “how do you feel about killing children?”

This year, CANSEC only granted access to select, friendly media. Organizers wanted to avoid reports that are critical of war and those profiting from weapons sales that kill millions around the world every year. 

This despite the event’s sole purpose of showcasing and blatantly doing business in service of war and global conflict.

Every year since 1998,  hundreds of arms dealers, weapon manufacturers, foreign government representatives, Canadian ministers, surveillance manufacturers, and military officers have come to Ottawa to attend CANSEC. 

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CANSEC is the largest arms trade fair in Canada.

It's where multi-billion-dollar transnational corporations come to promote their products, as CANSEC boasts, to "600 VIPs, Generals, top Military and Government officials" and "40+ delegations from around the world."

Some of the world's most profitable weapons merchants attend CANSEC, including Lockheed Martin, whose subsidiary builds the Cyclone twin-engine helicopter for anti-submarine warfare, and Boeing, the maker of the F-18 Super Hornet jet fighter.

In 2015, Lockheed Martin sold $36 billion of arms, turning a profit of $3.6 billion. That same year Boeing sold $28 billion in arms making a profit of $5.2 billion.

On May 29, beginning at 7 a.m. in the morning, close to 100 activists blocked the two entrances at the EY Centre, where CANSEC takes place, not far from Ottawa's international airport, with the clear message that "Arms dealers are not welcome!"

They succeeded in being highly visible to many of the 11,500 registrants who had to drive or walk past the two-hour-long picket line at the opening of the arms fair.

The picket lines also helped snarl traffic on Uplands Drive and delay the cars, taxis and shuttle buses making their way to hear Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's opening keynote address.

And in an unexpected twist at the start of that morning, a few intrepid activists were able to briefly hold banners near the front-doors of the EY Centre.

CANSEC 2018: Canada’s Global Defence and Security Tradeshow

Annual Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries Tradeshow Starts 30 May 2018

CANSEC is Canada’s Global Defence and Security Tradeshow, Canada’s premier 2-day defence and security event. Stretching over 135,000 sq feet indoors, with another 16,800 sq feet of outdoor interactive displays, CANSEC is the biggest and most important tradeshow in Canada.

CANSEC has been held annually in…

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Minister of National Defence, Harjit Sajjan. (Photo gov.ca).

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