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| BryanUT... |
 Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:20 pm |
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| Sean_Q_... |
| Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:38 pm |
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BryanUT wrote:
Quote: My souvenir from the 2010 Olypmpics:
See http://zoeblunt.gnn.tv/blogs/30450/2010_Riot_It_Will_Be_My_Fault
Five months to go and already the media blitz is moving into
high gear. Sponsorships, special subscriptions, every promotional
gimmick you can think of. They could well pump up the frenzy
to rival the last uproar we had around here:
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The 1994 Stanley Cup Riot occurred in Downtown Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada, on the evening of June 14, 1994 and continued
into the following morning. The riot arose after Game 7 of the
1994 Stanley Cup Finals in which the Vancouver Canucks lost to
the New York Rangers.
After the NHL contest was concluded, 50,000 to 70,000 individuals
reportedly converged upon Downtown Vancouver. What initially was
a gathering developed into a riot at Robson and Thurlow Street.
This happened after an accident involving one or more victims who
fell through scaffolding related to construction of a building on
the corner, and later spread to surrounding areas of downtown.[1]
[2] Total damage to the downtown core was estimated at $1.1
million CAD. Like other Robson and surrounding retailers, the
then Eaton's department store had more than 50 of its storefront
windows smashed.
Subduing the crowd required the efforts of both the Vancouver
Police Department and Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers.
In all, 540 officers were directly involved with the riot. Many
individuals were arrested and charged, and up to 200 individuals
were injured.
Ryan Berntt, a rioter who was shot in the head with a plastic
bullet by police, causing a four-week coma and permanent brain
damage, filed a civil suit against police and the City of
Vancouver claiming excessive force. In 1997, he was found 75
percent liable for his own injuries, however, the British
Columbia Court of Appeal ordered a new trial in 1999. In 2001,
Berntt's civil suit was dismissed by the Supreme Court
of British Columbia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Stanley_Cup_riot
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Here's a cop's memory of that riot:
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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a police
officer in the middle of a riot? Well, grab a coffee, turn up
the sound and watch the video. You will see how fast a mob
develops into a nightmare.
It was Stanley Cup playoffs. The Vancouver Canucks had made it
to the final game. The city was in major party mode.
I had been re-assigned from my regular duties that day. I was to
be part of the arrest team for the Crowd Control Unit (CCU). CCU
is the team that wears the riot gear. They are the front line
when there is potential for a crowd to become unruly. We were the
handful of officers in the line behind the CCU. Our job was to
arrest and hold anyone who was trying to incite a riot or
committing a criminal offence.
Our squad were the few lucky officers issued gas masks and
helmets at the beginning of our tour of duty. I don't think any
of us thought those masks would be anything more than a nuisance
to carry around when we set out that night. Wrong!
Our first assignment was to attend the local fair grounds to
assess the crowd. We arrived just as a car was being flipped over
onto its roof. I think at that point every one of us realized it
was going to be a rough shift.
We returned to the heart of downtown Vancouver. We were ordered
to stay out of site underground, until we were called out for
back up. It wasn't many minutes before it was apparent that all
hell was breaking loose up above - and we were at a dead run up
the stairs and out onto the street, smack into the middle of the
fray.
As soon as our squad hit the street we realized gas had been
deployed and we dodged into doorways to get into those (nuisance)
gas masks. Boy were we glad we had them! The smoke from the gas
was making it impossible to see each other and we soon found
ourselves completely separated from the squad and on our own. We
could hear police officers yelling into their radios for backup.
It sounded like shots being fired and we were convinced the
police were being overwhelmed and taken down by the mob. We
didn't know where the shouts for assistance were coming from, and
we couldn't get to them. It was quite terrifying.
We eventually caught up with the CCU and took up our position
behind their line. The remainder of the night was spent trying to
avoid being hit with chunks of cement, bottles, rocks and hubcaps
that were being thrown at us from every angle. The officer next
to me collapsed when "something" that was thrown by some idiot on
the sidelines smashed into her knee. Eventually an ambulance was
able to get through the mob and take her to Emergency.
In my 25 years working the streets of Vancouver it was the only
time I ever thought I might not make it home. I will never forget
the absolute madness in the collective faces of that mob. I have
never felt so small and insignificant.
When it was over the streets looked like a war zone. We were
exhausted and so ashamed that people who are privileged to live
in our beautiful city could behave in such an insane way.
Full text & video link at http://www.mrsmuddled.com/
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Of course, everyone seems to forget that February in Vancouver
is rainy, damp, overcast and gloomy (and still with a risk of snow),
whereas southern Arizona is quite pleasant, or so I hear.
Que Glen Campbell: "By the time I get to Phoenix..."
SQ |
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