The 1918 Anti-Greek Riots in Toronto (VIDEO)

The 1918 Toronto anti-Greek riot was a series of violent events in Toronto, Ontario, Canada targeting Greek immigrants during ...
August 2-4, 1918. (Some sources indicate the date range August 1-5, to include the event that triggered the violence and the date of the final restoration of the peace.) 
It was the largest riot in the city's history and one of the largest anti-Greek riots in the world. In the newspapers of the time the events were referred to as the Toronto troubles.The riots were the result of prejudice against new immigrants and the belief that Greeks did not fight in World War I and that they were pro-German.


On Friday August 1, 1918, approximately 20,000 soldiers and civilians attacked, looted and destroyed every Greek restaurant they could find – while police and militia, overwhelmed by the violence, just stood by and watched.

On Saturday night, however, the police struck back. 


Fired by vengeance and adrenaline, they raged through the city’s streets with clubs and whips striking out indiscriminately. An estimated 50,000 rioters, civilians and police waged furious battles for hours in the city’s downtown core. Hundreds were injured, including innocent women and children, and damages.