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Help Save Ottawa's 20-year Ban on Arms Shows!
Join our "Surge for Peace" NOW!

The City of Ottawa's historic 1989 Motion, banning all international arms trade shows from municipal property, was knocked down this week, but it was NOT knocked out.
 
On Monday, June 15, the City of Ottawa's aptly-named "Corporate Services Committee" voted against preserving Ottawa's 20-year ban on war-industry trade shows. In the euphemistic name of so-called "defence and security," this right-wing committee -- usually chaired by our illustrious democratic leader, Mayor O'Brien -- then passed a shockingly servile new motion to symbolically open the City's corporate arms in a welcoming embrace to actually encourage the leasing of City properties to all such arms trade exhibitions in the future!
 
IT'S STILL NOT TOO LATE!
Although the Committee's new motion was passed in a unanimous vote of 7 to 0, it could still be defeated by City Council as a whole on Wednesday, June 24.

---> New Online Resources You Can Use when Contacting Councillors

Join our Peace Surge now!
If the vote next week at City Council is to preserve Ottawa's ban on arms shows, then it will require a widespread, grassroots surge of support from scores of peace-minded citizens.

(1) Ottawa Activists will pack City Hall, June 24
If you are in this neck of the woods, please join us in the Council Chamber of Ottawa City Hall (111 Lisgar St.) on June 24, at 10 am.  Be a part of this historic vote. Together let's show Councillors -- and all fellow citizens watching the TV news at home -- that we strongly support Ottawa's 20-year ban on international arms bazaars.

(2) Deluge All Councillors with Emails!
Wherever you are we need your help to ensure that Councillors are deluged with emails.  For the best effect, please BCC all Councillors. Tell them that publicly-funded City property should never again be used to showcase and promote technologies used in the horrific wars that are now raging around the world. Tell them you will be watching how they vote and that you will work with others to hold them accountable!
Click here for details on how to contact all City Councillors and for links to other talking points:

(3) Contact Potential Swing Vote Councillors
Downtown Councillors are already on board and don't need to hear from us.  Others are so closed-minded that they won't listen to anything we have to say. There are however some Councillors in rural or suburban wards, who may listen to arguments that it is a good idea for Ottawa to honour its ban on war-industry bazaars.  Learn more here about potential swing-vote Councillors.

(4) Other important things you can do on or before June 24!
(A) Sign our Online Petition

(B) Get More Paper Petitions signed. Print a copy now!

(C) Call your Councillor (especially if you are in a "swing" ward)
   
(D) Contact Ottawa Media
* Email the editors of the Ottawa Citizen and the Ottawa Sun
* Post online comments to this recent Citizen article
* Talk to radio and TV newsroom assignment editors, urge them to cover the story
* Call radio talk-back call in lines
 
(E) Spread the Word Online!
* Email this Call for a Peace Surge as wide and far as possible
* Post it to listserves
* Send to friends, family and neighbours.
* Upload it to websites.
* Blog til your fingers hurt!
* Twitter away (whatever that means!)
* Use Facebook!
 
Background Information
See the website of the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) for numerous articles and reports detailing how exhibitors at the recent CANSEC war-industry trade show (May 27-28) fuel major armed conflicts such as those in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
 

It was a very sad day indeed for all peace-loving citizens throughout Ottawa and across Canada when seven "business-friendly" Ottawa Councillors defeated a motion to respect and honour Ottawa's 20-year ban on arms shows.
 
However, in spite of that blow to peace, our campaign against CANSEC -- and the international trade in weapons that it represents -- has been a tremendous success!

• With many newly-published articles and detailed research reports published on the COAT website, the awareness of thousands of people throughout Ottawa and across Canada has been raised!
• We had a large and enthusiastic rally with great music and speakers that was attended by about 400 people on May 27!
• Many dozens of activists braved the driving rain from 7:30 am, throughout that day, to stand for peace at the gates of CANSEC!
• Almost 5000 people signed COAT's petition to Stop Ottawa's Arms Shows!
• Many dozens of peace, development, religious organizations and others, sent delegations to "speak truth to power" at Ottawa City Hall on June 2 and June 15!
• We have taken great strides in building a strong community of activists who oppose Canada's role in the business of manufacturing and exporting war technologies!
• We have set the stage for a much stronger movement to oppose future arms trade shows that will no doubt descend upon Ottawa!
• In this process, many activists have learned a lot and have deepened their commitment to working within this growing movement!

Congratulations to us all!  Let's keep up this struggle now for the final push to have Ottawa City Council reinstate its 20-year ban on weapons shows.

Learn more about our campaign here:
Stop CANSEC! Canada's Top Arms Trade Bazaar