Do West Fest shut down early as crowds overwhelmed west end

Police shut down Do West Fest one hour early Saturday night after the crowd on Dundas Street between Ossington and Lansdowne swelled beyond what the city could safely manage.

Attendance was expected to exceed one million people over the weekend. Traffic around the festival came to a standstill, with hundreds of vehicles parked illegally. Police worried the size of the crowd could prevent emergency vehicles from getting through.

"As a result of the risk this posed, particularly on the ability of emergency services to navigate through the area, officers made the decision to begin closing the event down at approximately 22:00 hours," Toronto police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan said Monday.

Organizers nearly doubled their request for paid-duty officers compared to last year, hoping to handle crowd control and traffic management. But with multiple large events happening the same weekend, their request was underfulfilled. Police arrested seven people over the three days—five for assault—and responded to 66 calls for service. Forty-one of those were for theft under $5,000, with 36 specifically for pickpocketing cell phones.

Anah Shabbar, managing director of Do West Fest, said the events committee will assess what happened and consider changes for next year, including possible adjustments to operating hours and sound levels. Police reminded organizers to submit paid-duty requests as early as possible to improve the chances of getting the officers they need.

A packed street festival can turn into a safety issue fast—and this year, the city's stretched-thin police resources meant it happened on the city's dime.