By Richard Hartley-parkinson


-Man kicked senseless as he tried to stop looters go on rampage
-Thousands of fans vent their frustration in closing minutes of match
-Several people treated in hospital for stab wounds
-Two police cars burnt out as dozens arrested
-Bridges and roads closed off as riot police try to take control
-British Columbia premier: 'This isn't the kind of city I want to live in'

Helpless against the mob: A woman in a white Vancouver t-shirt tries to defend her BMW with her friend (black top)


Canada is searching its soul today after shaming scenes in Vancouver when a riot involving thousands broke out after the local ice-hockey team lost a key match against rivals from the United States.

Meanwhile disturbing new images emerged of the violence on Wednesday night, including a video of a young local woman pleading in vain with the baying mob in to spare her BMW parked in the city centre.

Along with her diminutive female friend, the woman -- wearing a white Vancouver T-shirt -- was powerless as the mob stomped all over her car, smashing windows and kicking in the doors.


About two hours earlier, a man trying to stop rioters from looting was kicked senseless amid the scenes of chaos.

As the mayhem that followed the city's Canucks team's defeat to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup final, a large crowd gathered to smash in all the windows of a department store.

A man, dressed in a black top and baseball cap, grew increasingly frustrated trying to stop the mob.

Leave it alone: She rushes to get a thug off the roof of her car

A losing battle: She manages to wrestle a vandal in a white hoodie to the ground


After one youth hit a window with a thin metal pole the man grabbed it, went after the youth and was suddenly submerged in the crowd.

He was pulled to the ground and kicked and punched before two men came to his aid as he lay there with his head bleeding.

The sickening incident happened before darkness as the city went into lockdown.

Clashes: Police attempt to hold back crowds of people after rioters torched cars and smashed shops following the Canucks' defeat

Bloodied: Help arrives as the injured man, his head cut, is sprawled on the floor after being attacked by a mob

Taken down: The man loses his baseball cap amid the punches as he starts to fall to the floor


Police closed bridges into the city as tear gas was fired to quell mobs burning cars and looting.

Thousands of fans went on the rampage after watching their team on giant TV screens on the streets.

Amid the big clean-up on Thursday, hundreds came out on the write apologies on the boarded up stores.

Messages of how saying 'sorry' and 'we will overcome' sprung up amind the devastation in the centre of the city.

A city in regret: Messages of apologies went up around the city on Thursday

'We will recover': A man writes a message of forgiveness on a boarded-up store on Thursday


Describing Wednesday's violence, Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said: 'It's terrible. This city and province has a lot to be proud of, the team we have and the guys we have in here. It's too bad.'

Amanda Harwood, a British woman living in the city, said: 'It's awful. There are vehicles on fire, overturned buses, smashed shop windows, fires in the shops, looting, stabbings, injuries from glass on the street, police are using tear gas.

'Bridges are closed and they have stopped anyone going to the downtown area.'

Damage: Fans overturn a car in the centre of the city as hundreds look on

Despite being consumed in flames this car's lights continue to shine amid the chaos

Mob rule took over in the centre of Vancouver following the match with widespread reports of looting


Vancouver police constable Jana McGuinness said: 'It's just a huge disappointment for everyone to see this.'

This morning a Facebook group was set up called 'Post Riot Clean up - Let's help Vancouver that said: 'Once the embarrassing rioting has ended in... Vancouver let's all show the world what Vancouver is really about by helping rebuild and clean up so it is better than it was before.

'If any city can bounce back from an embarrassment like this it is Vancouver!'

Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia, told The Globe and Mail: 'If you were a part of this, and I'm speaking to people who may have been responsible last night, I promise you this.

'You won't be able to live in anonymity, you won't be behind your bandana or under your hoodie.

'We are going to do everything we can to make sure the public understands who you were. Your family, your friends, your employer will know you were a part of it.

'Because this cannot happen in our city. It isn't the kind of city that I want to live in.'

Wai Young, the conservative MP for Vancouver South, made a reference to the riots in Parliament during a question period yesterday.

Using her Twitter page, she said: 'The violence is an embarrassment and absolute disgrace to our city.'

Hedy Fry, liberal MP for Vancouver Centre, said she thought the police handled the situation as well as they could.

But she was unable to explain the motivation behind those 'fans' who took pictures of themselves by burning cars while looting took place behind them.
She told CTV News: 'This is madness.'

A girl pulls one man back from the line of police horses as a hooded youth surveys the scene from a canopy

Stripped of their team's clothing, youths dressed in black enter a building through a smashed window

Counting the cost: A mannequin leg is all that remains of one fire while a security guard stands by a bank

'We have a small number of hooligans on the streets of Vancouver causing problems,' Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said. 'It's absolutely disgraceful and shameful and by no means represents the city of Vancouver.

'We have had an extraordinary run in the playoff, great celebration. What's happened tonight is despicable.'

At a Bay store, looters were seen grabbing T-shirts and anything else they could get their hands on. Young women were seen escaping with MAC cosmetics, with one carrying out part of a mannequin.

The landmark building was filling with smoke as people, their faces covered in bandannas, continued the violence.

NBA star Steve Nash, from nearby Victoria and the brother-in-law of Canucks forward Manny Malhotra, sent a Twitter message imploring the fans to stop the violence. 'We're a great city and have a lot of class. Our team is great and our championship will come. Soon,' Nash wrote.

A statement from the Vancouver Canucks praised police and condemned the rioters.

Vice-president T.C. Carling said: 'The destructive actions and needless violence demonstrated by a minority of people last night in Vancouver is highly disappointing to us all.

'As an organisation, we would like to thank the law enforcement agencies, fire and rescue workers who displayed courage and expertise during a very difficult situation.

'We are proud of the city we live and play in and know that the actions of these misguided individuals are not reflective of the citizens of Vancouver or of any true fans of the Canucks or the game of hockey.'

Rick Antonson, chief executive of Tourism Vancouver, said the rioting had damaged the reputation of Vancouver as a peaceful city after the celebrations of the Winter Olympics.

He told CBC.ca: 'All of the good of the Olympics has for a moment been reset down. It's like a virtual snakes and ladders game.

'We were at the top - at the goal - and all of a sudden that long snake down, and we have to begin the climb again.

'For the moment, they are the representatives that the world sees on behalf of Vancouver and that's not irreparably damaging, but it's really difficult to overcome.'

Riots: A fire rages in an overturned pick up truck after it was set alight in downtown Vancouver

Thick smoke rises from the burning vehicles as fans react to their team's unexpected loss

Boston Bruins Zdeno Chara lifts the Stanley Cup after beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 as violence erupts on the streets outside

A pizza shop worker jumps through the window after the riots as business owners wake up to find out if their property has got through the night untouched

A pair of police cars are engulfed in flames after several hours of rioting before officers regained control

Thousands of people had gathered to enjoy the game in central Vancouver but things turned nasty in the closing stages


A number of people were arrested amid the troubles, but as yet there are no details of how many.

A small group of rioters appeared to be at the centre of the action which reminded some of a similar scene that erupted in the city in 1994 following a Canucks loss to the New York Rangers.

Police and firefighters stood at the edge of the troubles until back up arrived and urged people not to head towards the trouble.

As the night progressed fans with bandanas or T-shirts covering their faces wandered the streets to avoid detection and the smoke.

Patrick Fleming, 15, said a small group took out its anger on cars in the game's dying moments flipping over two vehicles and setting one on fire.

Thousands of people had crammed into the heart of downtown Vancouver in hope of celebrating a victory over Bruins close to the Rogers Arena.

Local radio stations reported that some shops had been ransacked and at least one person was reported to have been injured.

People gathered around two burning police cars and took pictures as the fire took hold of the smashed up vehicles


There was a smell of acrid smoke and stale beer as riot police with truncheons eventually moved in to quell the violence and push crowds away from the burning cars.

Flames reached about 10 metres into the air from cars while some people threw firecrackers. Canucks memorabilia and placards were set on fire as others danced on an overturned vehicle.

At least two young men covered in soot claimed they had been 'roughed up' by police but had not been arrested.

Som Gosh, 16, said police blocked off the area and detained a number of people. 'I think it was a few people. ... Everybody else is watching,' he said.

In February, Vancouver was voted the 'most liveable city' for the fifth year in a row.

The annual survey, from the Economist Intelligence Unit, rates each city in five areas – stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

It is used by companies around the globe to determine levels of employee allowances as part of expatriate relocation packages.

Police pin a man to the ground to arrest him as the rest of the crowd stands back and looks on

Fans dice with death as they leap over one of the fires that was burning in the middle of a street

Boston Bruins fans players and staff celebrated winning the Stanley Cup after their 4-0 victory that led to the trouble

As the remains of a burnt out pick up truck continues to burn Vancouverites have vowed to take back their streets and clean the streets






source:dailymail