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

By Rebecca Evans


For 300 years, it has been the highlight of the summer calendar for the well-off and well-connected.

But these days, it seems, the enclosures and stands of Royal Ascot are becoming increasingly popular with a much less distinguished breed of racegoer.

As the Queen’s favourite racing event celebrates its tricentenary, fights have been breaking out amongst the male racegoers at the historic Berkshire course, watched by worse for wear women who can barely stay upright in their high heels.

A quick glance across the terraces reveals a sea of flesh and unsightly tattoos – of women in cheap, tawdry dresses and men who have shunned the expected top hat.

Lowering the tone: A fight breaks out between racegoers, with one man, left, wielding a champagne bottle and another, right, clutching a broken chair

Broken chairs and glasses litter the scene and the man is still wielding the champagne bottle as another man shields his face

Getting nasty: Spectators throw drinks - and punches as onlookers watch in horror

Many believe that the social fixture, once a prestigious highlight of the summer season, is becoming as bawdy as the meetings at Aintree and Cheltenham.

Yesterday was Gold Cup Day, commonly known as Ladies’ Day, but there was little evidence of ladylike – or gentlemanly – behaviour as the event ended in two arrests.
In a blatant disregard for Ascot’s strict behavioural code, a drunken brawl broke out by a Victorian band stand.

Eight men started to fight on the lawn by a champagne bar just yards from the The Royal Mile, Ascot’s home straight. Terrified racegoers fled to avoid being struck by stray punches as the drunken group, some egged on by female friends, armed themselves with bottles and chair legs.

The men, who had been drinking £98 bottles of Laurent Perrier Rose Champagne, ended up being pulled apart by members of the military.

Sophie Healy, 25, from Windsor, who witnessed the fracas, said: ‘I can remember one guy saying, “Are you mugging me off [insulting me]?”

Ouch: A racegoer takes a tumble clutching his head as he hits the floor, and right, his blood-spattered suit

Man down! One racegoer clutches his head in agony whilst another desperately grabs on to another man's leg in an attempt to floor him

What's going on here then? Members of the military step in to sort out the drama as one man holds another man in a headlock

And they're off! The fight caused such a disturbance dozens of racegoers stop to watch


‘The tone of his voice was really aggressive and then they started pushing and shoving.

‘We got out of the way and then suddenly our table, with a newly-bought bottle of champagne, went flying.

‘Things turned really nasty with one man wielding a broken chair leg and another had a bottle of champagne.’

In a separate incident, a man was arrested for hitting another racegoer in the face in the car park.

And a 24-year-old man was also arrested for possession of Class B drugs – as it emerged that racecourse bosses have installed a drugs honesty box by the gates to give visitors the chance to hand over any narcotics before entering the grounds.

Also lowering the tone yesterday was Helen Wood, the vice girl who was once involved with footballer Wayne Rooney.

Miss Wood, who attended because the festival is a ‘great place to be seen’, wore a backless, floor-length champagne-coloured gown.

New face of Ascot: A tattooed man watches from the Grandstand and vice girl Helen Wood, right

Over the top: Yet another tattoo and, right, another guest shows off her body art and fake tan


The 24-year-old, who is the subject of an injunction after having sex with a famous actor, flouted protocol by neglecting to wear a hat as she sauntered around the grounds posing for photographers.

And other racegoers seemed equally determined to disregard Ascot’s guidelines on smart dress, which explicitly warn against the perils of over-done fake tan and immodest attire.

The dress guide is posted with tickets, which cost around £60, and displayed on the website.

The decline in standards has not gone unnoticed, as racing commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan pointed out when he said: ‘Sometimes the grandstands seem over-run by tattoos and bare flesh. It’s disrespectful – not just to the Queen, but to the horses.’

Ascot was first discovered by Queen Anne in 1711. She realised that the unbroken panorama of rich green turf, just five miles across the Berkshire countryside from the royal stables at Windsor Castle, would be the perfect place to gallop her beloved horses.

Queen Elizabeth II has not missed a meeting since she first attended with her parents in 1945, aged 19.

She spends four summer days there each year and no other engagement is allowed to take precedence over Royal Ascot, which attracts some 300,000 visitors.

Celebrity guests at Ladies’ Day yesterday included footballer Michael Owen and newly-knighted entertainer Bruce Forsyth.

Sir Bruce, who had to fight his way through dozens of photographers and fans to get to the racetrack, joked: ‘I love the crowds. It’s so restful. I come here for a restful day.’


source:dailymail

By MAYSA RAWI

Carole Middleton arrives as part of the royal carriage procession for Ladies' Day at Ascot


Carole Middleton was lying low while the Royal Family have had a busy couple of weeks attending official engagements.

But not one to be left out, she stole the limelight when she arrived at Ascot today in a horse-drawn carriage, as part of the Royal procession, for Ladies' Day.

Kate's mother wore a champagne-coloured suit, teamed with a relatively demure hat given the occasion.

Despite painstaking efforts though, racegoers spent the majority of the morning covering their heads


High drama: One racegoer wears a 1920s inspired dress while another opts for a more modern serpent theme


Super injunction chic: A hat puns on the latest cheating footballer scandal
But the pouring rain saw colourful umbrellas come out in full force, as the event continued for the third day.


Ladies Day is the highlight of the week and luckily the weather didn't seem to dampen punters' spirits as they attempted to enjoy the afternoon, come rain or shine.



Umbrellas away: The weather brightens up


Washout: Racegoer Jenny Munklik wears a black swan style hat and a positive umbrella at Ascot today


Brolly follie: Punters wore their brightest umbrellas as one Japanese punter wore traditional dress for Ladies' Day on day three of the Berkshire event


Opened in 1711,Queen Anne first spotted its potential when riding in the forest near Windsor Castle.

Long gone are the days when the Royal enclosure at Ascot was so exclusive that divorcees were banned from its sacred lawns and women had to wear gloves.

Aristocrats once reigned supreme but now X-Factor supremo Simon Cowell has a box.


Soggy morning: Guests head into the Royal Enclosure


Singers Shirley Bassey and Bryan Ferry are handing out racing trophies this year although the honour of giving the prize to the winner of Thursday's Ascot Gold Cup always goes to the Queen.

And paparazzi on the hunt for the most outrageous hats on Ladies Day will not have to look far.

Publicity seekers sashay about in over-the-top concoctions in the daily fashion parade that was immortalised by flower girl Eliza Dolittle in the musical "My Fair Lady.


Never off duty: Model Aimee Nazroo poses in a Modern Milk hat and another model raises awareness for Malaria with a mosquito-themed hat



Cacophony: Racegoers are determined not to let the weather dampen their spirits


'You cannot think of Ascot without thinking fashion in the same sentence' said designer Amanda Whateley who is showing her collection once more at Royal Ascot 2011.

The ever elegant Bryan Ferry, lead singer of Roxy Music, sported top hat and tails to present one of the trophies.

'Fashion has always been a great interest for me. It is nice to see people dressing up. The British do it very well. Just look at the royal wedding,' he said.


Colour blocking: The fashion paraded included this season's hottest colour combination, orange and purple


Exuberant Italian jockey Frankie Dettori, known as 'Mr Ascot' for his many triumphs on the great course, leapt from the saddle in his trademark flying dismount after landing the Prince of Wales's Stakes on Rewilding on Wednesday.

He had no doubt about the thrill of riding here.

'I'm overwhelmed. It doesn't get better than this.'

But a look into the Ascot archives shows that racing at the big meeting has been distinctly racey at times over the past three centuries.

In 1777, a boxing bout was held on the course with a giant prize presented to a winner who beat his opponent so badly that he lost an eye.


Birds of a feather: A monochrome head piece, left, and bird creation


Mad hatter tea party: Ladies Day always sees racegoers go to great and creative efforts with fashion


Today, racegoers congregate for a communal singalong around the bandstand after racing. It's a far cry from the days when cockfights were staged and 10 marquees set up for card games and EO, a forerunner of roulette.

In 1799, a full-scale riot erupted over accusations of fixing in a card game. The Light Brigade had to be summoned from Windsor Castle to quell the chaos.

Highwaymen preying on wealthy racegoers also held up coaches on the way to Ascot.


Colour coordinated: Women even matched their umbrellas to their outfits


Snobbishness abounded when the introduction of a rail line to Ascot meant that the masses could now enjoy a day at the races.

Nineteenth century reporter Pierce Egan feared Ascot could no longer be protected from 'the pollution of sheer cockneyism,' a blunt dig at working-class racegoers from the East End of London.

Ascot racecourse manager Charles Barnett, who welcomes 300,000 fans to the course over the five-day racing extravaganza, clearly revels in the rich history of the picturesque track.

'It is as stylish and elegant as it has ever been. It is only our first 300 years and hopefully we will go on as long as that again,' he said.


Happy birthday Ascot: Course officials with 300th anniversary umbrellas


source: dailymail