My eldest daughter was so happy after Ecuador’s win against Germany that she went to celebrate at Dufferin and St. Clair. Then I got a call, “Can you come and get me, dad? The police are here and I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
I was with my 7-year-old when I got the call, so we went together. Down at the intersection, fans were in their national jerseys, others draped in yellow, blue and red flags. Little Ecuador had beaten a soccer giant – four World Cup winner and European titan, Germany. Revelers were all ages, all smiles, and some were even dancing to traditional music playing from cars passing by. Good times.
But I could see police cars blocking St. Clair. It looked like a crime scene and yet nobody was committing a crime. I waited with my littlest daughter at the corner. I met an Ecuador fan. He was with his 7-year-old too, but neither of us crossed into the police area.
My daughter held my hand tight, and I was relieved when her sister crossed the street to join us. “There were more police than fans,” she said. “I wasn’t afraid of the people because everyone was so nice. I was afraid of what the police would do.” It looked like dozens of police officers, and their cruisers had come down to quell a riot. They blocked fans from celebrating on the street, keeping them on the sidewalk.
Ironically, it wasn’t the fans closing the street, it was the police with their cruisers.
And this happened on St. Clair, a street that knows soccer, fútbol, and its passion. It happened in Toronto at a time when we are the host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Ecuador fans paid through their taxes to host the games that they wanted to celebrate on their street, where Ecuadorian and Latin American businesses are located.
Torontonians have always celebrated World Cup victories on Dundas, on College, and on St. Clair, where the most ardent fans have always lived. But why, when we pay for the games to be held here in our city, can’t we celebrate on those same streets?
“Move along! Move along!” That’s what Toronto police used to be like.
Are we still that city?
