Members of Toronto’s large Greek community were out in full force to celebrate their homeland’s independence day on March 25th. Under a sunny sky, hundreds participated in the annual Greek Independence Day Parade filled with Greek pride for their ethnic identity and concern for the Greek crisis.
A last-minute banner, pictured below, which aimed to create awareness of Greece’s unfinished battle with corruption, was prohibited from being in the parade.
Organizers specifically pointed to the banner’s reference to Greece’s current battle with “political corruption” and “bankster fraud” as objectionable, even within the context of Greece historically being on the front line of battling pan-European problems.
On being prevented from participating in the parade, the unidentified student group holding the banner commented, “It seems Greeks in political positions in Canada are equally reluctant to allow open comment on Greece’s predicament.”
The group further handed out copies of a New York Times article by Columbia history professor Mark Mazower that identifies Athens as having historically been the front for many European societal battles.
The Greek parade of Toronto has been taking place for decades in The city’s famous Greek Town on the Danforth.
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