Anti-Israel and anti-war protesters attempted to shut down Toronto’s annual Canadian International Air Show over the weekend. However, they only succeeded in accosting families who were trying to enjoy the show.
The Canadian International Air Show has been hosted by the Canadian National Exhibition every Labour Day weekend for the last 75 years, but this year, protestors tried to prevent the air show from happening, saying it promotes militarism and war.
Anti-Israel protestors and groups such as World Beyond War organized an attempt to shut down this year’s show, saying the event glorifies war, helps companies such as Lockheed Martin sanitize their image to promote weapons sales, wastes public resources and harms the environment.
Some protesters dropped fliers advocating against the airshow over the weekend. The pamphlets outlined protesters’ issues with the Canadian airshow while directing readers to an anti-war website.
“The Canadian International Air Show is hosted by the CNE every Labour Day weekend. It is used as a platform by the Canadian, US, and British air forces to promote militarism and recruit their troops,” the pamphlet read.
One of the groups’ grievances was that Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest weapons manufacturer, used the airshow to sell its weapons to the Canadian military. Another key problem the protesters have with the airshow is its apparent glorification of war.
“From Israel’s incessant airstrikes on Gaza, to the ongoing attacks on Ukraine, in the past year we have seen hospitals shelled, homes reduced to rubble, and the bodies of thousands of children killed in bombings,” World Beyond War said on its website. “We have been witnessing exactly what the warplanes being celebrated at the Toronto Air Show are designed to do.”
The group also wants the colourful and skillful display of military jets to stop because they claim it “re-traumatizes the victims of war.”
“This inescapable noise is a frightening reminder of war to the thousands of Toronto residents who have fled warzones, many of whom were bombed by CF-18s and F-22s like the ones slated to fly during this year’s air show,” it said. “Those living and working in Toronto during the air show are a captive and often unwilling audience as the noise reverberates through our homes, streets, and workplaces.”
Finally, the group said the show must be cancelled after its 75-year run because it contributes too much carbon emissions, given the summer wildfires in Canada.
One video, posted by a user named Leviathon on X, showed protesters shouting in the face of police as they were prevented from proceeding to the airshow. One officer can be heard telling protestors that no flags are allowed on the premises of the CNE, while a protester recording the incident claims that police were not allowing them to proceed for “no reason.”
Toronto police did not respond to True North’s request for comment and information before the deadline provided.
In another video posted by the same user, protesters accosted a family trying to enjoy the annual show.
“Do you have anything to say? You had something to say when there was no camera. I’m just wondering, like right now, when there’s a camera and people watching live, if you have anything to say, Brother?” a protester said to a family sitting on a blanket in a Toronto Park.
The man being accosted said he had nothing to say. However, the protesters continued claiming the man had “flipped them off.”
One woman protester accused the family, one of the members of which was a small child, of supporting the war by being in attendance. The man whose family was being yelled at by the protestors said his family didn’t even buy tickets to the event and they were just watching the show.
“The thing is, you’re flipping us off, and you’re telling us to stop. You’re obviously not happy with us being here, ruining your show, your pleasure watching killing machines,” the male protester said. “Shame on you. And you bring your family here too. Shame on you.
The woman protester added that she doesn’t care about Canada in a seemingly Canadian accent.
“You make us refugees. You bomb our country so that we have to come here we don’t give a f*&k,” she said. “We don’t want to be here.”