Raptors Toronto victory parade marred by organizational problems
City says barricades lining parade route were ‘quickly ignored’ by exuberant fans
Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard takes a selfie holding his playoffs MVP trophy during the team’s championship parade in Toronto on Monday. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)
A once-in-a-lifetime celebration for Toronto Raptors fans on Monday was not without organizational problems, as millions of people waited to greet the NBA champions for the first time since their historic win.
Despite what city officials say was “intense” planning, the Raptors victory parade saw hours of delays amid euphoric chaos. Many people were left stranded without water or sufficient bathroom facilities in the midday heat. Others climbed traffic poles and buildings, or watched atop trucks to get a better view.
With no barricades to keep people off the main parade route, frenzied fans clogged the streets, causing huge lags as the motorcade carrying the team and the trophy inched its way along. The parade took more than four hours to wind its way through downtown Toronto.
Brad Ross, the city’s chief communications officer, insisted there were barricades set up along the route to keep the crowds back, but “in their exuberance,” revellers jumped over them.
“They were quickly ignored and people just took to the streets in an attempt to celebrate and be close to the team,” he said Tuesday in an interview with CBC Radio’s Metro Morning.
“Yes, it slowed things down significantly, but overall people were having a very good time, and that was really the point of the entire day.”
First responders attended to an injured person after gunshots were fired during the parade. (Tijana Martin/Canadian Press)
Still, the victory celebration was later marred by violence.
Hundreds of people were sent fleeing after gunshots were heard around 3:45 p.m. ET at Bay and Albert streets — near the southeast corner of city hall and Nathan Phillips Square.
Although the rally continued with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford on stage, the shooting left four people wounded and three people were taken into custody.
Mayor John Tory told city council on Tuesday that anger still prevails over someone bringing firearms to the mega-celebration. However, he lauded the “extraordinary” team effort of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, city officials, first responders and the transit authority to pull off the parade with only a few days notice.
“This was a massive event, the likes of which our city has never seen before,” he said.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment – with the help of City staff and Toronto Police – had three days to plan this parade. I want to thank everyone involved in this effort – especially our City staff in countless departments including transportation, TTC, & solid waste management.
Fans began filling the downtown area on the weekend, after last Thursday’s historic victory over the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif.
According to the City of Toronto’s estimates, more than one million revellers swelled the parade route in order to catch a glimpse of the Raptors. Another 100,000 fans packed into Nathan Phillips Square — the final destination of the parade route and the scene of a late-afternoon rally that started more than three hours late.
Nathan Phillips Square was at full capacity. Some revelers watched the victory rally atop the arches. (Andrew Lahodynskyj/Canadian Press)
When asked if officials underestimated the volume of people who would come out to celebrate the Raptors, Ross responded, “I don’t think so. We knew that there would be a large contingent of fans who would come out to celebrate and to see their team, and then take part in this parade and the rally in the square.”
City officials looked to previous NBA victory parades in other U.S. cities — like Cleveland, which saw some two million people take to the streets — when planning Monday’s parade, he said
“What was probably underestimated was just, you know, the barricades and the like would just be simply ignored and they would just take to the streets and surround the parade contingent.”
City manager Chris Murray added that staff will work with police and the TTC to review details of Monday’s parade to see how Toronto can improve in case other sports teams have similar success in the future.
With files from CBC Radio’s Metro Morning, Mark Gollom and Meagan Fitzpatrick
Amara McLaughlin · CBC News
