Ottawa Police Service arrested 13 pro-Hamas protestors after scuffling with the police outside the city’s airport on Wednesday morning as the terrorist supporting activists tried to shut down the CANSEC military arms trade show taking place at the EY Convention Centre.The pro-Hamas protestors are outside of the Ottawa police headquarters demading that the arrested pro-Hamas protestors be released, after being charged with mischief and assaulting police..Protesters waving Palestinian flags were on Uplands Drive, splashing red paint on themselves and lying across the road to the EY Centre, where the defence industry delegates were arriving. .Officers in helmets formed a line and ordered the crowd to move. Videos on social media show pushing, shouting, and clashes between the police and the protestors..No major injuries were reported, and no flight delays were reported at Ottawa International Airport due to the protest. Sam Hersh, a local activist, wrote on Twitter/X that it was a “wonderful morning to heckle the profiteers of war and genocide,” urging followers to “#ShutDownCANSEC.”.The protest was part of a two day campaign by the World Beyond War Canada, Palestinian Youth Movement, and Labour for Palestine Ottawa that accuse Ottawa of arming Israel during its war on Gaza following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack. .After the airport clash, demonstrators marched downtown, briefly blocking Wellington and Elgin streets and chanting “Free Palestine.”CANSEC, Canada’s biggest defence expo, attracts more than 12,000 delegates. Organizers say it supports the military industry, but critics argue it promotes “war profiteering.”Police said they respect peaceful protest but will act when safety or traffic is threatened. Ottawa police continue their investigation, and more charges could be laid.
