Anti-Israel war protesters arrested after sit-in at parliamentary building

OTTAWA — Fourteen people were arrested on Parliament Hill this morning after staging a sit-in demanding Canada immediately stop sending any weapons to Israel.

The protesters from Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the entrance to the Confederation Building, which contains dozens of offices for members of Parliament.

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The group filled the inner entryway and stairs as parliamentarians and staff arrived for work and organizers say the location was chosen to take the message straight to MPs.

In September, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Canada would restrict Canadian-made arms and munitions from reaching the Gaza Strip, after the U.S. State Department approved the purchase and sale of 50,000 high explosive mortar cartridges with fuses made in Quebec.

The Parliamentary Protective Service says all 14 people were issued trespass notices and released.

The Ottawa Police Service says the people who were arrested were released with no charges.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.

— With files from Dylan Robertson.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press