12 protesters arrested after demonstration shut down roads near airport
Posted May 28, 2025 11:54:30 AM.
Last Updated May 28, 2025 04:28:39 PM.
Ottawa police have arrested 12 people in connection with a protest after demonstrators blocked roadways near the EY Centre.
Officials said in a post on X they responded just after 8:00 a.m. on May 28 to Uplands Drive to “manage public safety.” They asked people to take alternate routes if possible.
Police said in a press release later that there were about 75 to 100 people participating in the protest.
“Participants were seen wearing identity-concealing clothing and masks, dumping paint on the roadway,” the police press release reads. “They were later observed filling disposable water bottles with paint, which they reportedly were to be used to target police officers.”
By 8:25 a.m. officers said that Uplands Drive was closed at the Airport Parkway, but that the Ottawa International Airport was still accessible. By 10:42 a.m. police public order units cleared demonstrators from the roadway, after officers say the “Police Liaison Team made numerous attempts to have the protestors cooperate.”
As a result, 12 people were arrested for mischief and assaulting police.
This comes as Canada’s global defence and security trade show, CANSEC, is at the EY Centre May 28 and 29. The event showcases technologies and weapons related to military, navy and air units. The event is held annually in the nation’s capital.
Police also noted that a conference attendee was assaulted in the area and sustained minor injuries.
Officials said just after 11:00 a.m. that Uplands Drive is reopened.
In the afternoon on May 28, demonstrators were outside the Ottawa Police Headquarters, where an additional person was arrested for causing a disturbance.
“The individuals arrested are currently being processed and will either be released or held for a court appearance tomorrow. Investigations remain ongoing,” officials said.
Similar scenes have played out in the last several years, with a new focus on the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.
The Ottawa chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement, an organization calling for an arms embargo and an end to the war, shared the details of the protest on social media.
