Photo credit: Toronto today
Thousands showed up for Toronto’s 38th annual St Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday despite strong winds and threats of freezing rain.
Toronto Today reports that along Bloor Street West and Yonge Street, spots of green peaked out from the winter coats of onlookers gathered to celebrate the city’s Irish-Canadian culture – a Tradition in Toronto since 1988.
The St Patrick’s Day Society, the nonprofit organization that hosts the parade, describes the celebration as “Everyone’s Irish,” meaning that regardless of Irish heritage, all are welcome to participate.
Over 100 parade floats began promenading down Bloor Street West from St George’s Street around midday before turning south on Yonge Street and concluding at Sankofa Square. Amongst them were marching bands, dancers, Irish community groups, union groups, city officials and emergency service crews, all donning a variety of green caps.
While some groups said they were marching in the parade for the first time, like the newly incorporated Toronto Queer Irish Society, others, like Hamilton Irish Arts, have a long-standing history of participating in the parade. One group, Irish for Palestine, claims it was denied the opportunity to participate in the parade altogether.
The Toronto Queer Irish Society, incorporated as a nonprofit in January, participated in the parade for the first time.
Hamilton Irish Arts chairperson Ann Gorman-McKinney said she carried the Donegal flag, which represents the county Donegal in Ireland, in Toronto’s very first St Patrick’s Day Parade in 1988.
She pointed out that it was a significant event because it marked the return of the parade after a more than 100-year hiatus – Toronto banned the St Patrick’s parade in 1878 due to violence between Protestants and Catholics.
Pro-Palestine group Irish for Palestine claimed on social media that it was denied the opportunity to participate for the second year in a row and was not given a reason for the rejection.
Irish for Palestine urged people attending the parade to wear keffiyehs – patterned scarves wiidely recognized as a symbol of Palestinian identity – and bring Palestine flags to represent Irish solidarity with Palestine.
