Last night I watched Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals between Boston and Vancouver and told myself that there was no way what happened in 1994 would be repeated in Vancouver. Back then, when the Canucks lost in the finals, the city rioted. I figured the police, the mayor and everyone else would make sure nothing like that happened again by loading the downtown area with police. Apparently I was wrong because the city was out of control last night. When you think of Canadians, the stereotype is not a group of people who burn police cars and set buildings on fire while looting stores. Meanwhile, the police sat back and did not seem to be doing much for hours except trying to slow down the swarm of rioters as much as possible. If the rioters think they are getting away with something though, those times have long passed. Everyone had cameras and there are videos everywhere with nice clear shots of the people.
Canadians are just like everyone else. We riot and loot with the best of them if the mood strikes us.
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrible loss for Vancouver. They all have my deepest condolences.
What a bunch of losers wrecking it for the rest of us. We stayed home and watched the game, there was no way I was heading downtown.
ReplyDeleteI feel old saying this, but they all look so young! Where are their parents?
Okay, to be fair: this is not all Vancouverites. Many left after the second period and I don't know what the hell was going on with the people who started smashing things. I'd bet they weren't from Vancouver.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty shameful that this happened in my city. But there have been massive numbers of volunteers cleaning up the streets this morning, which is really heartening to see.
I'd also like to say that, what the hell did the city THINK would happen? You invited 100,000 people into downtown, closed the liquor stores at 4 so of course people were extra-drunk or stocking up before then, and you get them jacked up on testosterone. This was a powder keg waiting to happen. Our bloody mayor, though, was so enamored with the idea that his city would have a winning team that he did not think ahead and realize mob mentality can take over in an instant.
Cleanup in action and apologies from embarrassed citizens Canucks fans take to the streets to clean up downtown Vancouver after Stanley Cup riot
ReplyDeleteSending good thoughts to you from Boston, Vancouver.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I'm shocked that the same thing didn't happen in Boston. We riot when we win, not when we lose.
There was a great response today on Boston.com from a Canucks fan in Vancouver:
ReplyDelete"As a lifelong Canucks fan, who has been downtown for multiple games this series, I would like to say how appalled and ashamed the Canucks and Canucks fans are over the riot in Vancouver tonight. I truly believe that these people are NOT Canucks fans, but rather hooligans taking advantage of a hundred thousand people gathering in the downtown core. If you look at the videos and photos, most of the people doing the real damage are not wearing Canucks jerseys or cheap gear that they could pick up at the dollar store down the street. They are wannabe thugs who headed downtown with the intention of causing havoc win or lose. Actual Canucks fans are either stuck downtown because the city has shut down all transit or had already left the area, heartbroken but ready to start over again next year. Please don't paint us true fans with the same brush as these losers."
i have nothing to add here other than to say: vancouver, your mayor's kinda hot.
ReplyDeleteIf you check out this post, it sounds like most of the rioters were bored-ass teenagers who were gonna smash and grab no matter what. I hope they all get arrested.
ReplyDeleteWhen you get this many people together on the streets there's always gonna be a few fuckwits who cause trouble. That's the same everywhere...
ReplyDelete@Adventurous Kate:
"Frankly, I'm shocked that the same thing didn't happen in Boston. We riot when we win, not when we lose."
We leave that to the Montreal folks ;)
I am so sorry that this happened; it really does not put Vancouver in a good light, although I think most people realize like someone said earlier, that it was a bunch of hooligans, and not true fans. I also thought it was terribly ungracious of the fans to boo Gary Bettman as he was presenting the trophy (even if he did deserve it, lol!).
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine who was at the game last night posted on Facebook that he was leaving during the second period to avoid the riot that he was pretty sure would happen. Good move on his part.
@Kate - congratulations - your team did a great job.
@pwner - I lived downtown during both those Montreal hockey riots - it was frightening and shameful and really sad for all those businesses that had their windows smashed and stores looted.
@surfer: Yeah it's crazy the way people behave in those situations. I'm sorry you were in the middle of both those incidents. It must have been insanely scary :( I live in downtown Toronto and some of the G20 rioting was taking place right across the street from my building...some people are just too stupid to live, lol.
ReplyDeleteNothing in the world terrifies me more than a mob mentality. NOTHING.
ReplyDeleteAnd I pity all the city employees who have to clean up that considerable mess -- but I also think it's awesome how so many volunteers have offered to help out.
@pookie, agreed.
ReplyDeleteThat didn't happen in Ottawa. The main problems were from the "hooligans" intent on causing trouble. I mean really, how would you go about setting a car on fire? Pull out your bic? Those jack-asses aren't hockey fans. It's the same bunch of dirtbags who do that in Montreal.
As for the looting, I think it was Canucks fans who got caught up in frenzy. Love how everyone had cameras and phones out documenting everything.
Truly embarrassing for Canada but luckily no one pays attention to us. I wanted Vancouver to win for sure but I don't mind that Boston won. As long as it's not Toronto.
@pwner
ReplyDeleteI live downtown too and watch that mess od cp24 almost all day. I lived in the gaybourhood then and when I went out that day to the store, all the gays were in a huff daring the rioters and looters to come to our neighbourhood and try that shit. I was a little scared.
I actually saw a dude get tased by a swarm of cops when he wouldn't let them search his bag. It was terrible. They should have done the whole damn thing in Muskoka. There were 2 protesters there, that I saw.
@pwner - I live in Toronto these days, and last year during the G20, I had an app't downtown @ PMH, which I tried to change but couldn't. The huge police presence honestly didn't make me feel any safer with those mobs of people around. I got in and out of there as fast as I could.
ReplyDelete@Ida ... city workers didn't clean it up. Hundreds of volunteers showed up downtown this morning to clean up. It's really heartening to see!
ReplyDelete@Miranda -- seriously? That is TOTALLY amazing. I wonder if the same thing would happen anywhere in the States, honestly.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time believing that Vancouverites were the ones doing most of the looting. Why crap in your own living room? And I would say that the folks who participated in the looting should be beyond ashamed, but I don't think they're capable of feeling anything close to that.
I wonder what would happen if I was there and shouted, "It's only a game!"
ReplyDeletelol pookie - you can have him, personally I can't stand the guy.
ReplyDeleteI live downtown, watched the game, cracked champagne to celebrate the season, then around 10pm after seeing what was going on, I went out to take pictures and video of the losers that were doing this.
Thanks to those who understand that 99.99% of Vancouverites were not involved, and as information continues to be released, it's looking like this was going to happen, win or lose. People were pulling crowbars out of backpacks, people that weren't wearing jerseys or seemed to even be interested in hockey. There are facebook posts right now about idiots admitting they traveled to the city to take part in a riot, win or lose. I really don't think this had anything to do with losing a game.
Anyway, long story short, I witnessed a bunch of stuff and have already fired everything off to the cops. I REFUSE to be ashamed of Vancouver, because this is still a wonderful city and a place in which I'm proud to live. The only shame belongs to the people who participated in this crap and their families.
Congrats to Boston! You outplayed us for sure :)
Rocket Queen, that was beautiful. Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it was totally going to happen regardless. Assholes were posting all over FB "Come downtown, free stuff day!" Love that in these days of social media, the offenders will likely be caught and punished.
Exactly. What a wonderful thing that criminals are so incredibly stupid. Their faces are splashed everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI witnessed a girl step into a broken window on Howe St. and steal a purse...took several pictures, then followed her to get a good one of her face. She kept telling me to fuck off, I kept telling her to smile for her mom and the cops. I hope she is fucking SWEATING today. I sent the pic to the cops and posted to the appropriate fb site for people to hopefully identify her.
@Sue Ellen: Never mind Muskoka. They should've done the whole thing at CFB Borden. It's a beautiful military base and we all could've saved millions of dollars considering they'd have all the security they'd need being the MILITARY and all, LOL
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good idea, pwner. But then, they wouldn't get to show off the city and convention centre (whoopty doodle) and put the rest of us in jeopardy that live here.
ReplyDeleteI missed out on Halladay's return to the Dome that weekend. ffs.
As a New York Rangers fan, I really, REALLY, wanted Boston to lose.
ReplyDeleteWell said Rocketqueen ! I live out in Langley and almost cried when the game ended and the news started coming in . From a lot of the fb posts (what mental midgets) it's obvious it was planned win or lose. And from fb and the police it's also obvious they are the anarchists that tried to disrupt the Olympics (with some help from local yobos). From my vantage point (Global)I thought the police did a good job, they were vastly outnumbered ! But I must admit at one point I thought OK- sic the dogs on them and bring out the water hoses ! Where was the mayor's head letting 100,000 people party downtown ? Glad to hear you say you refuse to be ashamed of Vancouver - the real Vancouverites are out there today volunteering !
ReplyDeleteLOL...I live in New York, but I'm originally from Boston and a HUGE Bruins fan. (Yay Bruins!!!!). (Cut us some slack, we haven't won in years. There's no need to be a hater.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I can't stand the Yankees...and even I have to admit, when the Yankees, Giant, Knicks, Rangers lose, New Yorkers don't even riot and have more tact...and New York City is one of the the toughest cities.
...oh...and Adventurous Kate is 100% correct. Bostonians riot when they win...and they don't leave the house for a week when they lose.
ReplyDelete"like a looter in a riot"
ReplyDelete@T-Grape -- awww. I love an apropos Cypress Hill reference. <3
ReplyDeleteOkay guys, normally I wouldn't do this but I'd really like to pimp out an article I co-wrote about the whole thing for my work. Please feel free to totally ignore it!
ReplyDeleteVancouver hockey riot is a symptom of a larger problem
Ottawa went through this a couple of years ago. There were street parties every night however when Ottawa lost (and lost badly), this didn't happen. Canada Day celebrations every year bring hundreds of thousands of people downtown, tons of drinking and partying, the bars are open and it's without incident.
ReplyDeleteIn recent memory, of the last two large summits Ottawa hosted (G8 or G20 and something else, don't remember), the first one got out of hand. The police were all in riot gear and almost seemed to incite the (for the most part) peaceful demonstrators. A few months later when the second summit happened, the police were in "relaxed" uniforms, meaning t-shirts, etc. Very very few incidents.
Not knowing Vancouver politics, I don't blame the mayor (although I am shallow enough to let his looks distract me) and thought the police could've been more aggressive. Of course that's just what the news showed me.
We stayed up very late watching Vancouver's CTV feed and I was pretty impressed by their coverage. The "man on the street" reporter was hilarious because he was obviously extremely irritated with the "idiots" who were everywhere.
I blame 17-23 year old men/boys. Not all, of couse, but they did make up an overwhelming majority.
@Miranda -- "We've created the stupidest generation: a barely literate group of narcissists who don't know how to take care of themselves, but are like military-trained experts when it comes to tagging themselves in Facebook photos."
ReplyDeleteI LOVED it. Bravo. You're a kickass writer.
@Ida, why thank you, but I can't take credit for that brilliant line. That was all my co-collaborator! This is weird to say, but it was really fun to write this piece. The subject matter is shameful but there's definitely a bigger problem that needs to be addressed and we all have to work together to fix the problem :)
ReplyDelete@Miranda -- well, I'll still give you the credit for the brilliance!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think the main reason for the looting was good old fashioned narcissism -- and you guys apparently agreed. I just kept thinking of the people who have to clean up that rubble. Ugh. Narcissists are like toddlers: they're thrilled to make a gigantic mess, but they never think about who's going to clean it up.
I have to confess that I'm kinda relieved it didn't happen in the States, though. So many people around the world think that riots like that are a near-everyday occurrence for us.
:-/ If Palin ever wins an election, though, I predict a similar situation in D.C...
I guess one good thing about being completely misanthropic is that you basically view every single culture around the globe as equally capable of atrocious behavior. :-)
Excellent piece, Miranda :)
ReplyDeleteI lived in Vancouver for years and years (2004-2008) and loved it. This outburst was uncharacteristic to say the least. What I hate most about images of the riots is that there are a bunch of people standing around, breathing through open mouths, holding smartphones aloft to capture video. Man, it's almost as annoying as seeing all the people make lame-assed videos at a concert. In fact, I am more bothered by schmarmy video-capturers more than by rioters any day of the week.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite (throwing in a "u" in honour of Canada today) line in the Province story about the rioters was a line that said more or less: The window into Chapters was smashed up, but no one thought to go inside. I actually smiled at that line. I miss the Province.
this was a pro job as RQ said. it's no coincidence than Michael Kors, LV,Coach and other stores got hit blocks away from the riot. these guys go in and start shit to rile the crowd then sneak out,rob shit and take off leaving the drunkards to deal with the police. disgrace.
ReplyDeletemob mentality is a powerful drug.
Ida, a tornado hit North Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago, and the whole city mobilized to help them clean up the damage. So it does happen here too. :) (Although, Minnesota is almost part of Canada...)
ReplyDelete@Mooshki -- well, blame it on a lifetime of listening to Garrison Keillor, but I truly think Midwesterners are special in their kindness and altruism. I kinda think of you guys as American Canadians, to be honest. :-)
ReplyDelete