In August 1918, a mob of 20,000 to 25,000 people rampaged through Toronto, destroying Greek-owned restaurants and shops. Historian Thomas Gallant calls it 'the single largest anti-Greek riot anywhere in the world in history.'

Canadian veterans returning from World War I faced inadequate government support, while Toronto's small Greek community—less than 1% of the population—owned over a third of the city's cheap eateries. Most Greeks were not enlisted due to suspicions of pro-German sympathies, fueling resentment.

The riot was sparked by a drunken veteran's altercation at the White City Cafe. Rumors spread that he had been killed by Greeks. The mob, shouting 'Tonight's the night we hunt Greeks,' destroyed over a dozen businesses. Police and military were powerless to stop them.

The mayor and press largely blamed the Greek community. 'It became blame the victim, the immigrant,' Gallant says. The event was quickly forgotten as the Greek community sought assimilation. It remained obscure until the early 2000s.

Today, as anti-immigrant sentiment rises in Canada and globally, Gallant warns that societies under stress often scapegoat minorities. 'In times of national crisis, certain groups just get scapegoated—like the Greeks,' he says, drawing parallels to current anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Source: www.aljazeera.com