writing

Much of what I wrote for this piece ended up being cut from the print issue and the lede was completely rewritten by the editor, though some of my original copy was added back to the digital version. Nonetheless, the research, interviews, and profiles on each manufacturer are my own. I also contributed to the spread’s layout and design. I conducted several interviews with activists and protesters who had been demonstrating against Canada’s complicity in the international arms trade, and more specifically, Israel’s war on Gaza. I also had to chase each of the firms for comment—and worry about drawing the ire of their respective legal departments. It’s the first piece I’ve ever written that made me worry about being put on a list. It’s also the first piece I’ve written to have gone viral, as many of those same activists helped to boost it on social media. After this issue came out, I attended an event for my partner’s union local at U of T, and I had my first experience of meeting a stranger in the wild who had read something I’d written when they mentioned coming across this piece on Instagram. Read it on NEXTmag.ca