Standing for Peace: NSVOW Protests the DEFSEC Arms Show in Halifax
From October 1–3, 2024, members of the Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace (NSVOW) joined allies to protest the DEFSEC Atlantic arms show in Halifax. Each day, from 12 to 1 pm, we gathered to stand against the global arms trade and its direct links to violence in Gaza, Lebanon, and beyond.
As reported by Peace Brigades International–Canada, DEFSEC’s sponsors and exhibitors included some of the world’s largest weapons manufacturers, among them Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Leonardo, BAE Systems, and Rolls-Royce. According to the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), these companies supply aircraft, artillery, naval weapons, and tanks that have been used extensively in attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.
This protest came in the wake of alarming findings by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which concluded that Israeli authorities are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza since October 7, 2023. The International Court of Justice has also ruled that it is plausible that genocide is being committed against the Palestinian people.
By showing up at DEFSEC, we join a growing movement demanding an arms embargo now—calling on Canada to end the export of weapons to Israel and to fulfill its obligation to prevent genocide.
📢 We stand with peace activists across the globe in saying:
No more weapons. No more war. We choose peace.
For more details, you can read the full press release here: PBI-Canada Report on the DEFSEC Protest