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Activists claim victory after Ottawa arms show tanked

A major arms trade show, originally scheduled for the end of this September in Ottawa, has been cancelled and peace activists are claiming victory.

Secure Canada 2008, an industry trade show for defense contractors and other arms and security system producers, was intended to “redefine national and international cooperation in security, public safety, risk mitigation, threat response and emergency planning.”

Sponsors included XWave Defense Security Aerospace, Frontline Security and the Canadian Defense Review magazine.

The Ottawa-based group Call off the Arms Trade called the cancellation as a victory for peace activism in a Sept. 22 news release.

“This is good news for all Canadians,” said Vancouver East NDP incumbent Libby Davies. “Most of us don’t want Canada involved in an international arms race.”

“Arms manufacturers wouldn’t be welcome in Vancouver, either,” said Mable Elmore, Co-Chair of Vancouver-based Stopwar.ca. “Vancouver belongs to the Mayors for Peace International organization and is committed to fostering a culture of peace and social justice.”


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