Riots in Vancouver

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Well, not sure if this is big enough to classify as politics, but CTV is now interviewing Gregor Robertson (who's doing a fantastic job, in my opinion), and they're talking about asking the province for money.

So I figured I'd make a thread.  If anybody cares, there's a live feed of CTV here: http://bit.ly/l820wv.

Also, does anybody know if we have posters in Vancouver?

[bgwah]

I'm sure they expected this.

It's the main reason I'd like to see a team in Seattle---the rivalry would be so fun!

[Tender Branson]

How the history repeats itself:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Stanley_Cup_riot

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I'm sure they expected this.

It's the main reason I'd like to see a team in Seattle---the rivalry would be so fun!

Oh I'm sure they had to at least expect potential after what happened in 1994.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

In fact, the Vancouver Police Constable was just on CTV talking about they had a plan in place and has already been implimented.  More RCMP officers on the way to break up the crowd.  For a while it seemed that the RCMP was letting the crowd try to tire itself out, but now they're going in with pepper spray and flash-bangs.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

The problem with live TV - no filter on anything - quite a bit of "F*** Boston" etc.

Also, the fact that Rob Brown is that close to the riots and is actually reporting after this long is quite phenomenal - that's pretty gutsy to put yourself that close to being in harm's way.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Dang - the coverage by CTV is incredible.  Rob Brown deserves journalist of the year.  I couldn't do that.  I'd either 1) just get out of there or 2) be so ashamed of the rioters, I'd be going after them myself.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

RCMP looks like they may be moving in on the crowd soon.

[bgwah]

Art!

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

RCMP is now moving in and using pepper spray or tear gas.  Go get 'em, boys!

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

A small group of rioters is now approaching the police with a fence as a shield ... I'd be tear gassing them and spraying them with rubbe bullets if I was in the RCMP.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

CTV just cut out - no more live coverage on their site anymore for the moment.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

If anybody wants, here's a working stream: http://mystreams.tv/promo/vriot.html

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

CTV just labelled it "a much worse situation than 1994".

[MaxQue]

Well, in Montreal, there have the police out for each playoff game.
There is a risk of riot after every playoff game, even if it is the match 3 of a playoff.

Awful.

[bgwah]

This is why Seattle needs an NHL team. The rivalry would be intense.

[2952-0-0]

A small group of rioters is now approaching the police with a fence as a shield ... I'd be tear gassing them and spraying them with rubbe bullets if I was in the RCMP.

Dear Sir,

Please seek mental help.

Thanks.

[Lief 🗽]

at least someone in Vancouver knows how to score lololol

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

The picture is real (there'd been some rumors it was fake):

[SmokingCricket]

Good for that guy in the above pic.

But seriously, this is pretty bad.

[Seattle]

This is why Seattle needs an NHL team. The rivalry would be intense.

The thunderbirds don't cut it?

[dead0man]

Stay classy Philly!


wait, what?

[Foucaulf]

I would have talked about this earlier, but I was busy being tired and emotional. Some thoughts:

-1994 was worse. With knowledge of previous history, the majority left before the riots spun out of control. With a fewer number of people, the riots mostly stopped by 12. The police were also more hesitant to use force this time, knowing they may be demonized.

-The VPD was disorganized. Their strategy was to push back the crowd fenced into the Fan Zone at Georgia & Hamilton, as well as guarding the major intersections along the bars on Granville street. But rioting and looting took place anyway, and eventually they stopped standing their ground and tried to prevent all the damage. Then you have a group of outnumbered cops running around the city; for every arrest they make two others break into a store.

-A new generation of Vancouverites are more disciplined, and the spread of modern technology makes the cleanup more organized. People are hunting down the rioters to the point of publicly mocking them (which I do not approve). Let's see if the rest of the world reports on the cleanup efforts going on, though!

-Nobody knows who were the primary actors in this. Anarchists? Hooligans? Alcohol? Immigrants from Surrey? Robertson and BC premier Clark can call groups out, but nobody will think to identify these riots as a spasm of the capitalist order.

[Boris]

It's not that difficult to explain why the riots started...It was all young adult males, who probably have nothing else going on in their lives, and therefore their happiness is predicated upon whether or not Roberto Luongo stops Patrice Bergeron or whether or not Ryan Kesler can beat Tim Thomas on the fast break. It's stupid, I know, but that's our society for you. Both of those kind of went against them, and alcohol makes you feel invincible and not give a sh**t, so why not cause a ruckus? I mean, if I had nothing to lose and weren't repulsed by violent acts while intoxicated, I'd probably have broken some sh**t and started a fire, too.

[Lief 🗽]

I'm usually very, very much against police violence and pro-demonstrations, but the Vancouver police should have been cracking a lot more heads. Though maybe having your photo taken and then your Facebook exposed to the internet (as well as future employers and schools) is a better punishment than being batoned into a coma.