Vancouver's Response to Hoodlums

[Andy M.]

I think many people were dismayed at the rioting that followed the last game of the Stanley Cup finals. The personal injury and property damage done by brainless rioters is inexcusable.

I never believed it was a true reflection of Vancouver's real people.

The following is an excerpt from a column by Kevin Paul Dupont (hockey writer) in today's Boston Sunday Globe that tells us what we need to know about the real Vancouver.


"Hope everyone keeps in mind that it’s a reflection first and foremost of those who did it, not the city that was victimized. The next day, someone hung a sign that read, “On behalf of my team and my city, I am sorry,’’ on one of the damaged storefronts. A number of people stood in line to sign it."

 

[Alix]

I think another reflection of the people is the hoard of people who brought buckets, brooms and anything else they thought they might need to help clean up the mess. No one called them, they just showed up. Now THAT'S the city that hosted the 2010 Olympics.

 

[GB]

From what I have heard, the riots were premeditated by a few individuals looking to just cause havoc. They found Coke cans filled with cement among other things that point to premeditation. It was a few bad apples trying to spoil the bunch. As Alix said, many in the city banded together after the fact to try to do the right thing. I think that speaks a lot more about the city than those few idiots who caused all the problems.

 

[LPBeier]

Thank you so much for taking the time to find the TRUE Vancouver in all of this.

I had to go into town on Friday to pick up a parking pass and while most of the mess had been cleaned up (by a lot of the volunteers Alix mentioned), it still showed the aftermath of a war zone. It brought shivers up my spine to know that this was done by a few people who had no care for the outcome of a hockey game...they just wanted to show they were badder than the renegades of 1994 and prove to the city that they couldn't be stopped.

I found out that our young cleaning lady's boyfriend and other friends were involved and she has not been charged but lost her job. It saddens me because she's a sweet kid. I never reported her (making statement to me that it was their intention to roll a police car and set it on fire), but it made me uneasy all day and even worse when that was done within minutes of the end of the game.

Also, I was ashamed at first seeing all the people standing around taking pictures of what was happening on their cell phones instead of doing something about it or getting out of the way - until Facebook, Twitter and the news sites were flooded with these videos to help catch the culprits.....yes, THIS is my Vancouver.

 

[pacanis]

The sad part was it wasn't just a few people, or even a few hundred.
I'm glad bragging rights is helping to arrest some of them.

 

[LPBeier]

Actually, Pac, it was started by a couple of small groups who went down with the intent to cause another riot (as happened after we lost to the Rangers in New York in 1994). They were armed with gasoline, lighters, other weapons. My friend's husband who is a police officer said that they were not able to search everyone for these items or liquor, etc. because there was more than 100,000 people converging on the area in a short period of time. The others just decided to join in for the "thrill"!

 

[pacanis]

I'm sure it was incited by a lot less than what we saw taking part. The fact that all those knuckleheads joined in made the whole occurance numbering much more than a few though.
One report I read said there must have been 100,000 people downtown, so I guess the actual pertentage rioting is small, but it's still a lot of people. Much more than a few.

 

[LPBeier]

I think the point of the thread is to show that a lot of good came out of a whole hunk of bad. Alix mentioned all the people that came down, on their own, to clean up the Hudson's Bay store, which was hit hard. So, on Saturday, the Bay held a street party for all the volunteers with food and festivities.

London Drugs was looted and damaged to the tune of over $1 million dollars. Much of the stolen merchandise has been returned because the people were actually mugging for the cameras with their spoils. And one guy went in on Saturday to buy a camera and apparently paid for two to make up for some of the loss.

Yes, it is a sad case that this had to happen twice when we lost the cup (enough sadness for the city) but when you hear the good that comes out of it, I am really proud to live here.

I hope the rest of the world hears both sides of the story.

 

[Andy M.]

It's unfortunate the "other side' of the story never gets the same coverage.

 

[pacanis]

It's unfortunate the "other side' of the story never gets the same coverage.

Yes it is.

 

[buckytom]

just a few thoughts:

i cringed when i saw what was happening, thinking that hockey really doesn't need this kind of attention.

i love hockey. it's in my blood, and i'm passing along the love of the sport to my son, who seems infected by the greatest game on ice as i am.

unfortunately, compared to football and baseball, professional hockey is a struggling sport in the u.s.. i recently heard a sportscaster on a national radio show answer a caller's complaint that he never talks about hockey because, "not enough of his listeners care about hockey, so he stood to lose them if he covered it".

one of the best things about hockey is that so many of the players are really decent, down to earth people. despite of the violence built into the sport, the vast majority of players display good sportsmanship on and off the ice.

it really seemed odd to have something like a riot associated with this sport i love. undoubtedly, the rioters weren't true fans, or maybe not fans at all, but outsiders looking for an excuse to start trouble.