Ottawa, June 2 (RHC)-- In Canada, hundreds of protesters disrupted the opening day of North America’s largest military weapons convention, CANSEC, taking place in Ottawa.  Activists on Thursday blocked vehicle and pedestrian entrances as they carried banners saying “Stop Profiting from War” and “War Crimes Start Here.” 

The peaceful action delayed Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand’s opening keynote address for over an hour, in which she went on to tout a new cross-border cybersecurity program aimed at protecting Canada’s defense officials, contractors and infrastructure. 

Anand told the crowd: “Putin’s war on Ukraine has reminded us that the cyber domain is crucial to our national security.”  Lockheed Martin is one of the convention’s largest sponsors.  Its stock has soared following the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.