Toronto raptors celebration

Chaos breaks out in the streets of Toronto after Raptors' NBA championship win

Good morning and congratulations, Toronto! Your Raptors are officially NBA champions for the first time in history and it is GLORIOUS.

The 6ix in six, bay-bee!

It's exciting enough to scream over, to cry over, to pop bottles over... Heck, it's thrilling enough to smash up a police cruiser, apparently. 

What felt like all 2.9 million residents of Toronto took to the streets of downtown last night following the Raptors' NBA Finals win, prompting mass road closures amidst some seriously wild behaviour.

I'm talking firework-spewing, street sign-defacing, Eaton Centre-climbing action

Everybody wanted in on the celebratory action after Toronto dethroned Golden State to cap what's been an exhilarating playoff run.

Most people were in great spirits as they left bars, viewing parties and Jurassic Park — though some had perhaps consumed too many spirits.

From Yonge-Dundas Square...

To the waterfront...

To the Annex...

To the area surrounding Toronto's Scotiabank Arena...

To Nathan Phillips Square, where people were spotted swimming in the big central pond.

Fans were, as young people say, "lit" — and lighting illegal fireworks all over the city.

Sadly, not everyone played nice.

Toronto Police made several arrests in the hours coinciding with the mass street parties, one of them connected to a shooting incident near Yonge and Gould streets.

One 19-year-old man was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to paramedics, after being shot.

Keyed up fans were also seen being handcuffed and pulled down from TTC buses and other vehicles in the city.

And in the wake of all the partying lies at least one severely defaced public transit vehicle.

Police told 680 News that the damage was done by "a small handful of people that got out of hand."

Other than some bumps, bruises and brutal hangovers, however, almost everyone came out of the fray unscathed and with memories that'll last forever.

Lead photo by

Lauren O'Neil


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