Pro-Palestinian protesters blockade military vehicle company in Brampton

Over 100 activists blocked access to a Brampton-based military vehicle manufacturing plant while calling on the company to cancel the export of equipment to Israel.

Carrying signs reading “arms embargo on Israel now” and “Canada: stop arming Israel,” around 100 protesters descended on the Roshel Inc. armoured vehicle plant on Biscayne Crescent in Brampton on Tuesday, says the group World Beyond War Canada.

The group, which uses nonviolent activism to promote an end to war and demilitarize Canada, says activists were trying to stop the export of more than 30 armoured vehicles to Israel.

Some members of the protest carried Palestinian flags and wore the keffiyeh – a traditional head covering that’s become a symbol of the pro-Palestinian movement.

One of the largest manufacturers of smart armoured vehicles in North America, Roshel opened a new $65-million manufacturing plant in Brampton. Roshel had a contract with Israel to provide Senator transport vehicles that dates to before the Israel-Gaza war, but the shipment of those vehicles has been delayed since the outbreak of the conflict.

The company has sent military vehicles to Ukraine for use against the invading Russian forces and hired refugees fleeing the conflict to work in its 140,000-square-foot Brampton facility.

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Peel Regional Police confirmed multiple officers and units attended a protest on Biscayne Crescent to “keep the peace,” and said there had been no arrests reported.

The protesters had begun to clear the area by around 12:30 p.m., a police spokesperson said.

INsauga.com has reached out to Roshel for comment about the armoured vehicle shipment and the protest, but no response was immediately received.

Canada froze all new arms export permits to Israel dating back to Jan. 8. to limit any exports that could be used directly in the conflict, but reports indicate Roshel’s shipment of vehicles were to be used for domestic police operations.

Roshel says its Senator APC can be used as armoured personnel carriers, mobile command and control units, law enforcement vehicles and medical evacuation vehicles. The company has also sold vehicles to NASA, police forces, nuclear authorities and financial institutions.

The National Post reported in 2023 that the company allegedly committed “illegal acts” and broke anti-corruption laws to secure a sole-sourced contract with the federal government for $92 million for armoured vehicles headed to Ukraine, according to a lawsuit. The company has said it was cleared of any wrongdoing and filed a countersuit against a former executive.

Some reports on Tuesday put the death toll at 39,400 since the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict.