Anonymous Submission to North Shore

I was recently speaking with a comrade who is one of the individuals wrapped up on charges in London, Ontario. They’re alleged to have played a role in shutting down a weapons defense conference that involved private and state actors, and a number of manufacturing companies designing or building the tech currently being used by Israel against Palestinians and those in Lebanon – but also for policing and defense operations within and for so-called canada.

As they spoke about their experience going through over 1500 pages of court disclosure (with more to come), I realized there were broader police tactics happening that were worth consideration by anarchists, radicals and other leftists in ontario. With my pal’s consent, I compiled some of the information they spoke about to release publicly. I have also included a short contextual piece at the beginning, because I believe it is important to offer accurate and relevant information as to not incite blanket-fear or paranoia. Remember that the point of sharing – and knowing our current situation – is not to reduce action, but rather to reduce fear and speculation and help us engage in more effective, sustained resistance.

 

The Rundown

On October 21, 2025 it is alleged by police that a hundred or so people attended the location of “The Best Defence” weapons conference in London, Ontario. As large groups of people approached various entrances to the conference to hold space and get their message out, small affinity groups also moved in and physically secured the five main entrances before disappearing.

Police list the following as actions taken on site:

1. Automatic sliding doors were disabled by individuals spray painting the sensors to keep them from re-activating, and then wooden shims were wedged in to door tracks to force the doors to close. Then special metal screws were used to affix a steel plate to joined those doors at their opening point, keeping them from being operated.
2. An underground parking garage was barricaded using nearby construction materials that were locked together
3. A side entrance with stairs was covered in a large amount of paint
4. A pedestrian walkway from the sponsoring hotel in to the conference center was also thoroughly covered – floor and walls – in a large amount of paint
5. A fenced private patio area was locked using bicycle u-locks and the sliding doors there were also disabled by the same methods noted above.

 

Police Response & Investigation

Large-scale police response: London police quickly dispatched all available officers to the scene, including on and off duty members of the public order unit.

Drones/UAV’s: London Police quickly launched a drone for crowd monitoring and surveillance. At several points the drone was used to observe individual conversations and movements. Police drone use for protests is now very common – plan accordingly.

CCTV: London Police solicited an abnormally large amount of CCTV from the area – over a terabyte – including footage from many city-owned CCTV cameras. Detectives spent the time to parse through footage captured hours before, during, and after the action to try and identify individuals. Where groups entered in to or on the property of nearby businesses, they also solicited CCTV footage from there. If you are trying to remain anonymous, it’s worth repeating that medical masks do not anonymize you, and that you should never unmask or change your appearance where there are cameras – even if it’s away from the action.

Monitoring/Seeking Phone Use Data: During the investigation, detectives review CCTV footage and capture on-screen information from at least one individual using their phone. Also mentioned is the intention to seek a warrant for at least one person’s service provider. Police in Hamilton & now London have started reviewing CCTV specifically to identify phone use patterns and networks, which helps them obtain warrants for service providers, which may give them more information on networks, suspects, etc.

Static Surveillance: London Police requested at least one out of town police departments to surveil individuals they believe may have been involved, to look for comparable clothing or backpacks.

Mobile Surveillance: Before dispersal of the action, London Police had mobile surveillance teams in place to follow and identify some individuals/groups leaving the scene. These mobile surveillance teams followed people to identify vehicles and observe shops they entered, after which they also sought CCTV footage and electronic transaction records from noted locations. Police in Toronto, Hamilton, and now London have used post-action and post-arrest mobile surveillance in order to identify those involved and track networks. Develop safe exit plans with your crews – and don’t abandon those dealing with repression, but find ways to see them without giving the state more information.

Harassment Canvassing: Police repeatedly called, door-knocked and emailed at least a dozen or so people they thought might have been involved or have information. In one instance, police spend a significant amount of time and resources attempting to track down an elderly couple by pinpointing their electronic purchase in a coffee shop, and using that card data to try and match them as a nearby hotel guest to get their names – not because they believe they are involved, but because they believe they may have witnessed something. In another instance, London detectives investigate a family member of someone they intend to charge, and request their information and photos from campus security for comparison to suspect profiles.

Fingerprinting & DNA: Detectives had most items left at the scene – such as u-locks or paint buckets – not only fingerprinted, but swabbed for DNA. It is worth underscoring that this is a practice usually reserved for serious indictable charges – not cases of mischief.

House Raids: Approximately a month after the action, four individuals have their homes simultaneously raided before dawn.

PsyOp: When one of the accused returns to their home after being released, they find items in suggestive piles throughout their home. Worried about cash they had set aside in a fire-proof envelope with some personal documents, they find their own and their housemate’s passports missing. Instead, police have sifted through their housemate’s underwear, chosen a black thong, placed them in the fire envelope and zipped it back up before hiding it. They learn later that the lead detective – Dylan VanBelleghem – seized the passports off-warrant, and claims to have searched that specific room. This isn’t the first time police executing a search warrant have engaged in targeted, misogynistic behaviour or psyop-like behaviour to send a message.

Police will never be our friends,
ACAB/1312