By: Toronto Underhoused and Homeless Union
As Toronto prepares to host FIFA events under the banner of “safety” and “world-class city building,” many of the city’s most vulnerable residents are experiencing something very different. Over the last two months, the Toronto Underhoused and Homeless Union (TUHU), a grassroots collective led by people with lived experience of homelessness advocating for human rights, dignity, housing, healthcare, and community-led solutions, interviewed approximately 50 people experiencing homelessness at Union Station. An overwhelming 90% of respondents reported either witnessing security violence firsthand or experiencing direct escalation themselves. People described forced removals from public spaces, verbal abuse, physical assaults by security and police, and intensified targeting of visibly poor and homeless people as part of FIFA-related “cleanups.” These testimonies point to a disturbing pattern of displacement, intimidation, and violence carried out in the name of public safety.
Read and share TUHU’s latest blog post.
The full report will also be made available soon at: www.TUHUnion.ca