Peterborough police are investigating vandalism at a local defence technology company as a hate/bias crime incident after red paint and writing were discovered on the company’s building during the long weekend.
The Peterborough Police Service announced Tuesday (October 13) it is investigating damage at GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc. on Whittington Drive, including damage to the exterior of the building and an outdoor communications box.
Police said a concerned citizen spotted red paint and writing on the business and contacted officers. Investigators believe the damage occurred sometime overnight between Sunday and Monday.
Police said their investigation determined GeoSpectrum “may have been targeted because of its parent company Elbit Systems.”
A group claiming to be Palestine Action Canada said it was responsible for the vandalism in an email sent to kawarthaNOW shortly before 8 a.m. on Monday. The email included a link to a video showing the vandalism.
The group said it had targeted GeoSpectrum in the early hours of Monday because the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems, an Israel-based defence technology company.
The provided video shows a masked individual apparently interfering with unidentified equipment. Later in the video, a masked individual threatens to smash a window with a hammer before another individual, not shown in the video, splatters red paint around an entrance to the building.
Peterborough police say the video, which was also shared on social media, is part of their investigation.
GeoSpectrum Technologies develops and manufactures marine acoustic systems, including sonar, underwater communication technology, submarine targets, and surveillance systems for defence and other applications.
Elbit Systems describes GeoSpectrum as its wholly owned Canadian subsidiary. GeoSpectrum has also worked with the Canadian military, including conducting trials of its Towed Reelable Active Passive Sonar system aboard Royal Canadian Navy vessels with the involvement of Defence Research and Development Canada.
In its statement to kawarthaNOW, Palestine Action Canada accused Elbit Systems and companies connected to it of contributing to Israel’s military operations in Gaza and elsewhere.
The group called for the federal government and Canadian companies to end business relationships with Elbit Systems, saying it would continue taking direct action in the absence of sanctions and an arms embargo.
“We take action to directly confront Canadian complicity in arming this genocide,” the group stated.
Palestine Action Canada has previously claimed responsibility for similar actions against Canadian companies it says are connected to the Israeli defence industry.
In July, the group claimed responsibility for targeting Dishon Limited, a manufacturer in Concord, north of Toronto.
Days later, according to a July investigation by Juno News, participants in an online strategy session organized as part of the Arms Embargo Now campaign were directed to materials identifying dozens of Canadian companies that activists said supplied or were connected to Israel’s defence industry.
A document associated with that campaign included GeoSpectrum Technologies’ Peterborough location among companies identified in connection with Elbit Systems.
The activities of Palestine Action Canada have also prompted calls for the federal government to designate the group as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code.
A House of Commons e-petition that closed in September called on the federal government to designate Palestine Action, including what the petition described as its Canadian chapter, as a listed terrorist entity.
The petition cited the July incident involving Dishon Limited as evidence the group’s campaign of direct action against businesses was operating in Canada.
Palestine Action was formally proscribed as a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom in July 2025 under that country’s Terrorism Act 2000. The designation followed a break-in and damage at Royal Air Force Brize Norton and other actions by the organization against defence companies and institutions. The UK Court of Appeal upheld the government’s decision in June 2026.
The Government of Canada has not listed Palestine Action or Palestine Action Canada as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code.
Peterborough police said they have classified the incident at GeoSpectrum as a hate/bias crime incident and that the investigation remains ongoing.
“Hate has no place in our community,” said Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts in a media release.
“We thank the concerned citizen for alerting our officers to the damage to this business. The investigation is ongoing and any further details will be released when available.”
Anyone with information or video related to the incident can contact the Peterborough Police Service crime line at 705-876-1122 ext. 555.
Anonymous information can be provided through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or at stopcrimehere.ca.
