Do West Fest organizers looking to clean up event after Saturday night chaos
· Toronto Sun
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A Toronto festival intended to unofficially kick off summer in the city was spoiled by some unruly behaviour and petty crime over the weekend.
On Saturday night, Toronto Police said a larger-than-expected crowd gathered at the Do West Fest street festival. The event became unruly with fights and numerous petty crimes reported. Cops said they began shutting the event down at about 10 p.m.
Toronto Police said they received 66 calls about the festival — 41 regarding theft under $5,000 and 36 specifically regarding stolen cellphones.
Cops said seven arrests were made — five for alleged assaults — in relation to the festival.
It has festival organizers, city staff and police reviewing plans surrounding the multi-day event in Little Portugal.
“It’s critical that we support festival organizers to operate safe and successful events across our city, and I have reached out to the Do West Fest organizers and will be meeting with them directly to understand how the festival can be better supported going forward,” Toronto City Councillor Alejandra Bravo said in a news release.
According to the festival’s official website, the event is “built by and for the members of the Little Portugal Toronto BIA.” It features music, art, food and vendors over three days in the heart of Little Portugal.
Bravo, who represents Davenport (Ward 9), was stationed in the Shaw Ave. area on Saturday evening. She was there until 10 p.m.
Support public safety
The city is also reviewing the incident.
“City staff will be reviewing with Do West Fest organizers to better understand the issues and develop mitigation strategies both for application to Do West Fest next year and to support public safety efforts with other street festivals due to be held in Toronto this summer,” Pat Tobin, general manager, Economic Development and Culture for the City of Toronto, told the Toronto Sun.
Toronto Police said they review their actions and reactions when staffing events, always looking to improve performance for future duties.
Police said they worked alongside organizers in advance to review safety plans and staffing levels, but the crowd was larger than previous years and posed challenges.
“We will be reviewing this year’s event with all partners to determine what changes are needed moving forward to ensure public safety remains a top priority,” Toronto police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan wrote in an emailed statement to the Sun.
Residents concerned
Residents in the Little Portugal section of the city surrounding the festival area have also expressed concerns.
“I will be attending to community concerns of overcrowding and capacity that occurred late on Saturday evening, particularly in the eastern portion of the festival,” Bravo said.
The Do West Fest organizers did not return two phone calls made by the Sun. However, on Wednesday afternoon they releases a statement via their website.
“While overcrowding and subsequent incidents can occur at any large public gathering, we continually review our operations and security measures to identify opportunities for improvement,” the statement said. “The events committee is already evaluating this year’s event and discussing adjustments for 2027. Options under consideration include modest changes to operating hours, further refinements to amplified sound management, and additional measures to improve the experience for residents, visitors, businesses, and festivalgoers.”