TORONTO – Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders is calling for an open discussion on appropriate public behaviour after violence and disorder broke out at the Nuit Blanche all-night arts event over the weekend.
“We saw young people, many under the influence of alcohol or drugs, become aggressive and threatening,” said Saunders during a press conference Wednesday morning. “People in the crowd started throwing bottles and other objects at police officers.”
“By far the most concerning issue was highlighted by video from the event showing the crowd’s reaction.”
Yonge-Dundas Square was engrossed with public intoxication on Saturday and into the early morning hours of Sunday as police dealt with a number of violent incidents including vandalism, a gun call, a stabbing and a slashing.
Saunders said police were initially called to the Square for a call of a person with a gun. It was later discovered the individual was holding a fake gun and a knife.
During the investigation, police said a fight broke out in the crowd and a woman was trampled as some fled the scene.
“At that point, the mood of the crowd changed,” said Saunders.
A video of one incident posted online showed police surrounded by a group of youth with an officer appearing to be hit with a bottle.
“We saw behaviour that was dangerous, behaviour that was reckless, behaviour that could have caused extreme serious injuries,” Saunders said.
Saunders said Toronto has hosted large scale events in the past and the public by and large have been law abiding citizens.
“We need to have that discourse on what is acceptable behaviour,” he said. “I’m going to take it as a bunch of young men and women that were under the influence.”
Saunders said an officer suffered a broken bone in his hand and two helmets were cracked as a result of the Yonge-Dundas Square confrontation.
“This one was videoed and the thing that stood out the most is that it turned out into a carnival-like behaviour,” said Saunders.
“Is that behaviour becoming the new norm or is that something as we Torontonians should not accept?”
Mayor John Tory expressed his disappointment on Twitter earlier this week saying “Toronto deserves better”.
Scotiabank, the main sponsor of Nuit Blanche, said in a statement release this week it is pulling its support for the event as it “no longer aligns” with its priorities.
The bank informed the event’s organizers of their decision in February. Scotiabank has been a sponsor since 2006.
Meanwhile, police are asking the public with additional video of the Yonge-Dundas Square confrontation to come forward.
Saunders said he also doesn’t believe the incident is part of a larger anti-police sentiment.
“Those are discussions being had across North Amercia, with respect to the public trust factor with members of the community,” he said.
“The legitimaty comes from our actions. How we respond to these types of calls. There is a different relationship Toronto police have with the community. So to layer us all in with North America is not accurate.”
Chief Saunders also added he isn’t concerned about the level of unruly behaviour some say might be anticipated during the Blue Jays playoff home games.
“Large scale events are not a surprise to the City of Toronto,” he said. “We have a certain formula that tells us what assets will be put in place.”
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