Workers at a gun-making company in Kitchener were met by people protesting as they tried to go to their job on Wednesday morning. A bunch of people stopped others from getting into the Colt Canada Corporation building on Wilson Avenue.
People said the protest was part of a national push to ask the Canadian government to stop selling weapons to Israel right away, because of the fighting in Gaza.
“We’ve been preventing people from getting into this Colt facility since this morning,” protestor Sasha Koegler told CTV News.
“Some Colt employees have said that they work here and also support what we’re doing. They understand that it’s necessary.” Koegler said that people can still go to a nearby Rogers TV building and some homes past the blockage.
“I think it was a good event. ” Many people have stopped by and are showing their support. They understand that this needs to happen.
Earlier this month, the government said it might punish Israeli people living in the West Bank for hurting Palestinians.
The Nicaraguan government wants to ask the International Court of Justice to decide if countries that give weapons to Israel are helping Israel do bad things. But the decision will only be made after the court makes a ruling on a case brought by South Africa. They say Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
In 2022, Canada sold a lot of military goods to Israel.
Global Affairs Canada said that the government has not sent weapons to Israel in a long time, but they do allow the export of military technology and non-lethal equipment.
Earlier this month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly said that she would punish 10 people linked to Hamas and the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad.
I want to make sure you understand. Hamas is a group that does bad things, and they will be punished for their attacks, Joly said.