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On the evening of June 15, 2011 in the
downtown core The Downtown Core is the historical and downtown centre of the city-state of Singapore and the main commercial area in Singapore excluding reclaimed lands with two integrated resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands, one of the most expensive buil ...
of
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, British Columbia, Canada, a
riot A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
broke out almost immediately after the conclusion of the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
' victory over the
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...
in game seven of the
Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
to win the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
. Nearly 150 people were injured during the incident, including four by stabbing. On the night of the riot, nearly 100 arrests were made by the
Vancouver police The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) () is the police force in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Greater Vancouver, Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the provinc ...
, including 85 for breach of peace, 8 for
public intoxication Public intoxication, also known as "drunk and disorderly" and "drunk in public", is a summary offense in certain countries related to public cases or displays of drunkenness. Public intoxication laws vary widely by jurisdiction, but usually requ ...
and 8 for criminal code offenses such as assault and theft. In 2015, four years after the riot, police completed their investigation and recommended final charges against 2 suspects, bringing the total to 887 charges against 301 people. The riot did an estimated $4 million in damage with an extra $5 million being spent on additional staffing costs for prosecuting the rioters.


Before the riot


Previous riots

Violence has occasionally occurred in the wake of sporting events in North America and Europe, including multiple riots in Canada since the 1980s.
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
fans set fires and looted in the Whyte Avenue (" Blue Mile") area of Edmonton when the team qualified for the 2006 finals,
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
was vandalized by
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
fans after the
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
and 1993 titles and during the 2008 and 2010 playoffs, and Vancouver itself had riots following the Canucks' defeat in 1994. The 1994 riot occurred after Game 7 of the
1994 Stanley Cup Finals The 1994 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1993–94 season, and the culmination of the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers a ...
, when the Canucks lost to the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
in an away game. A watch party hosted at the Canucks' then-home stadium,
Pacific Coliseum Pacific Coliseum, locally known as The Coliseum or the Rink on Renfrew, is an indoor arena located at Hastings Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its main use has been for ice hockey and the arena has been the home for several ice hockey tea ...
, attracted over 8,300 people, while many more congregated downtown. After the Canucks lost 3–2, a crowd of between 40,000 and 70,000 people gathered downtown. Fighting and looting ensued, with police using tear gas to clear the area. The riot led to over 190 injuries, $1.1 million in damages, and charges being brought against over 100 people. In response to these riots, investigations were examined by the
Vancouver Police Department The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) () is the police force in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Greater Vancouver, Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the provinc ...
, the
City of Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Met ...
, the Vancouver Fire Department, and other organizations. These reports found concerns including the lack of a sufficient traffic plan, issues with the communication equipment used by first responders, limited police visibility during the early stages of the gathering, lack of training in crowd control, and the availability of alcohol purchases from privately owned stores. An independent review of the 2011 riot found that the recommendations from 1994 were largely followed. In Boston, there was no viewing party at
TD Garden TD Garden (named the FleetCenter from opening until 2005 and TD Banknorth Garden until 2009) is a multi-purpose arena in Boston. It is located directly above the MBTA's North Station, and it replaced the original Boston Garden upon opening i ...
for the game. This was because of concern by the police that the additional people could lead to increased crime. Previous championships by the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
,
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
, and
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
had led to wide-spread vandalism and three fatalities.


Fan zone

City organizers had set up a two-block long fan zone on six-lane Georgia Street near the
Rogers Arena Rogers Arena, (formerly General Motors Place), is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, arena at 800 Griffiths Way in the Downtown Vancouver, downtown area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, the arena was known as General ...
. Two big screen TVs were set up for fans to watch the game. Temporary fences and gates were set up to provide checkpoints where police could control access to the area and check for alcohol (which police generally poured out when found). Following recommendations stemming from the 1994 riot, all liquor stores in the area were closed earlier in the day. Crowds had been generally well-behaved in the fan zone for the previous six games, with roughly 70,000 attending each event. Similar though smaller events had been very successful during the
2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...
. For the final game, an estimated 100,000 people crowded into the area, and people found ways to enter the zone without being checked for alcohol. Planned corridors to allow movement of emergency vehicles became impassable.


Game

The Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins participated in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, which was the culmination of the
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2010–11 season. It began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the regular season. The first game of the Finals between the Vancouver C ...
. The series was played over seven matches, with the winner being the team that won four games. After the conclusion of the sixth game on June 13, 2011, the series was tied 3–3. The seventh game was played at the Canucks' home arena,
Rogers Arena Rogers Arena, (formerly General Motors Place), is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, arena at 800 Griffiths Way in the Downtown Vancouver, downtown area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, the arena was known as General ...
, as they had the better regular season record. The game was played on Wednesday, June 15, 2011, and the puck dropped just after 5 pm PDT. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas made 37 saves as Boston shut out Vancouver, 4–0, to win the Stanley Cup.
Patrice Bergeron Patrice Bergeron-Cleary (born July 24, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre (ice hockey), centre who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, all with the Boston Bruins. He served as Captain (sports), team captain f ...
and Brad Marchand each scored two goals for Boston. Bergeron scored first at 14:37 in the first period, then had a shorthanded goal at 17:35 in the second. Marchand's first goal came at 12:13 of the second period; he then scored on an empty net late in the third. The Bruins outscored the Canucks 23-8 over the series. The win marked Boston's first championship since 1972. The series also marked both the Canucks' third appearance and loss in the Stanley Cup finals.


Riot

Trouble at the watch party began before the game had started. One of the entrances to the fan zone was removed, as the barricades were being breached. At 5:55, a five-man fight occurred in the fan zone. Thirty-five young people climbed onto the roof of a Budget Rent a Car building. These individuals started throwing bottles after Marchand's second goal for the Bruins, at which point the police department decided to remove them. Around 7:18 pm, a fight with over 30 people took place. By 7:30, there was an increase in 911 calls about rioting, with disturbances including broken windows, 100 people on the roof of the
Queen Elizabeth Theatre The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a performing arts venue in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Orpheum, Vancouver Playhouse, and thAnnex it is one of four facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres on behalf ...
(which was showing the musical ''
Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * ''Wicked'' (Maguire novel), a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', a 1997 novel series collaboration between Australian children's authors Paul Jennings and Morris ...
'' to a 1,900-person crowd), and looting of a
Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...
store. The riot began to take shape as the game came to a close at 7:45 p.m., with some spectators throwing bottles and other objects at the large screens in the viewing area. Boston Bruins flags and Canucks jerseys were set afire, and soon some rioters overturned a GMC Pickup in front of the main post office. Some porta-potties collapsed after people stood on top of them. People began jumping on the car that had been overturned, and sometime before 8:00, the car was on fire. At 8:26, the police began to play a pre-recorded message which alerted the rioters that they were partaking in an illegal activity, and ordered them to leave the area. The police began using smoke bombs at 8:48. The SkyTrain system began displaying messages on electronic screens reading: "Due to the unstable situation in downtown Vancouver, we strongly advise customers NOT to travel downtown until further notice." Various stores began to be looted, including The Bay, London Drugs,
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...
, and
Sport Chek Sport-Chek International 2000 Ltd. (doing business as Sport Chek) is the largest Canadian retailer of sporting clothing and sports equipment, with 191 stores throughout Canada as of 2020. It is the only national big box sporting goods retailer i ...
. At 10:30, the performance of ''Wicked'' ended, and patrons were asked to stay inside the theatre to avoid the riot. The riot ended around midnight, with the police using a helicopter to confirm that there were no outstanding areas of activity. By the end of the night, around 100 arrests were made by the Vancouver police, including 85 for breach of peace, eight for public intoxication, and only eight for criminal code offenses such as assault and theft. Nearly 150 people were treated by hospitals for injuries sustained in the riot. By the next day, four people were still in serious condition. Dozens of people were treated for tear gas and pepper spray exposure.
Vancouver General Hospital Vancouver General Hospital (locally known as VGH, or Vancouver General) is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest facility in the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (VHHSC) group of medical facili ...
said they treated two major traumas, three stabbing victims, and one person with a head injury. St. Paul's Hospital treated more than 50 people for riot-related injuries. Of these, most had been exposed to tear gas and were released. Others had broken bones or cuts from broken glass. The hospital operated under "Code Orange", which was their mass casualty protocol. Their head doctor, Eric Grafstein, said that there were few injuries caused by police, especially compared to the 1994 riot, in which there were numerous baton strikes and dog bites. The BC Ambulance Service reported that they had transported a man who had jumped or fallen off of the Dunsmuir Viaduct, and that this man was in critical condition in the hospital.


Aftermath


Response

In the immediate aftermath, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson initially attributed the situation to "a small group of troublemakers".
Vancouver Police Department The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) () is the police force in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Greater Vancouver, Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the provinc ...
Chief Jim Chu said that instigators appeared to be some of the same individuals involved in a
protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...
on the opening day of the
2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...
, and that they came equipped with eye protection, gasoline and other tools. He called them "criminals and anarchists" who disguised themselves as fans. The idea that anarchists were involved in the violence was rejected by
UBC The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
political science professor Glen Coulthard and others in a ''Vancouver Sun'' article on June 24. "That this gets tagged as anarchist activity is just more of an assumption or bias that has been around for a long time," said Coulthard. " archists are a convenient scapegoat for the police to deflect responsibility for what happened," said another commentator. One critic indicated that authorities had made several mistakes in the planning for the crowd—among them allowing parked cars near the screens and leaving newspaper boxes nearby which could be used as projectiles. On June 20, Chu said "While we are still standing by that observation about the instigators, we are learning that most of the people that joined in the riot and that have now been charged represent a wider spectrum of young people, many of whom do not have criminal records." Canucks general manager Mike Gillis claimed that the people responsible for rioting weren't their fans, saying "I think that would have happened whether we won or lost... When you're faced with thugs like that and people who are just prepared to punch other people in the face and think they're getting away with it, it's pretty hard to stop that. They're there for that purpose." Goaltender
Roberto Luongo Roberto Luongo (, , ; born April 4, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Vancouver Canucks. In 2022, Luongo was ...
expressed a similar sentiment, stating that "those were not the real Vancouver fans that were doing that... I think it was isolated groups. It was tough to watch that something like that happened to the city." Captain
Henrik Sedin Henrik Lars Sedin (born 26 September 1980) is a Swedish ice hockey executive and former centre who played his entire 17-season National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Vancouver Canucks from 2000 to 2018. He additionally served as the Canuc ...
showed appreciation for the people who cleaned up the city afterwards: "What happened with all the volunteers that came out, I think that shows more of what Vancouver is about than the night before." Singer
Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Regarded as a pop icon, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American ...
, who attended the game, launched an ad campaign which encouraged people to identify guilty parties and to make their photographic evidence public. "They're trash, basically," he said, describing the rioters. "It was gutless and disgusting behaviour. And I'm grateful for the police and firemen and paramedics who put their lives on the line, because there were people who were so scared. And that mob mentality could have killed somebody." An Angus Reid poll soon after the riot showed that 90% of British Columbia residents were disgusted by the events of the riot. In the same poll, two-thirds of respondents indicated that they were satisfied with how the police handled the riot. Over half of the respondents answered that they didn't want to see a ban on street parties in response to the riot.


Cleanup

After the riot, an estimated 15,000 volunteers organized to clean up graffiti and other damage. Many volunteers organized via texting and social media sites such as
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
and
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
, and the Vancouver Police Department endorsed the efforts to help clean up. Streets were reportedly clean by 10 am, with volunteers having shown up with brooms and dustpans to clean the city. Boarded up windows were covered in apologies and defences of the city's reputation. In response, the
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
, a major retailer in the area, hosted a free pancake breakfast in thanks.


Criminal prosecution

As many as 70 officers from eight different police agencies formed the Integrated Riot Investigation Team, tasked with sifting through hundreds of hours of video and other evidence to identify rioters. Several participants in the riots turned themselves in to police after their faces were broadcast on TV, including the person responsible for setting the first car on fire. More than 1,000,000 photos and over 1,000 hours of video recorded by citizens were sent to the Vancouver Police Department as evidence.
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is a provincial Crown corporation in British Columbia providing vehicle insurance. ICBC was created in 1973 by the NDP government of Premier Dave Barrett. By law, any vehicle registered an ...
(ICBC) offered their facial-recognition software to the police in an attempt to aid in their criminal investigation of the riot. In 2012, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia,
Elizabeth Denham Elizabeth Denham CBE, LL. D. (hon.) was the UK Information Commissioner at the Information Commissioner's Office in Cheshire from July 2016, taking over the role from Christopher Graham, until November 2021. Denham previously held the title of In ...
, ruled that police could not use the software without a warrant requesting the information. By July 2013, police had recommended 1,204 criminal charges against 352 suspected rioters. In July 2015, over four years after the riots, the last two suspects were charged. By then, a total of 887 criminal charges had been laid against 301 suspects, 274 of whom pled guilty. Police stated that they would continue to act on any tips they are provided and future charges could be laid.


Social media

Social media played a role in broadcasting and documenting the riot. Soon after the start of the riot, the event trended on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. Many people recorded images and videos of the damage as it unfolded. Experts have pushed back against the theory that social media was the cause of the riot. Christopher J. Schneider, a sociologist from the
University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
said that the social media usage was "crowd-sourced policing or lateral surveillance, where citizens were surveilling other citizens". Many of the photos and videos taken of the riot were posted to social media sites such as
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
and
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. This led to an unprecedented community effort to identify and report rioters. The Vancouver Police department received more than one million photos and tips from civilians, a load that one sergeant described as "overwhelming". The department issued a statement asking the public not to take justice into their own hands, saying that there was "a growing danger that the tools of social media will be used to mete out vigilante justice". Police encouraged those who were caught committing crimes on video to turn themselves in to avoid facing a public arrest. A study published in 2012 by Schneider and Daniel Trottier found that online vigilantes could increase police surveillance in the future, and raised concerns that doctored photos and videos could waste police resources as they try to filter out bad evidence. Additionally, the online effort to identify rioters sometimes identified minors, whose names cannot be made public in legal proceedings. An issue related to social media and the police investigation was that a number of people involved in the rioting were under the age of 18. Publishing the names of young offenders is forbidden by the British Columbia legal system. On social media, however, the sharing of images and videos and public online shaming can identify underage riot participants. Rioters who were identified online often faced backlash, with participants being fired from their jobs, removed from athletic teams, and in some cases, receiving violent threats. Seventeen year-old rioter Nathan Kotylak and his family left their home after receiving threats. In a statement, his lawyer said that those who participated in online campaigns against rioters were "becoming part of the
mob mentality Herd mentality is the tendency for people’s behavior or beliefs to conform to those of the group they belong to. The concept of herd mentality has been studied and analyzed from different perspectives, including biology, psychology and sociolo ...
that swept through members of the crowd" during the riot. Schneider concurred, saying that "Many of the comments are horrific, threatening things that these people might not normally say... There is a profound disconnect between who we are online and in life. We are still learning how to be cyber citizens". Another individual, Brock Anton, who posted on Facebook about the damage inflicted by the riot, was the target of harassment online for his alleged role in the riot. A Facebook page with the name "Brock Anton Sucks Dick" was created, and a song called "The Ballad of Brock Anton" received over 65,000 views on YouTube. However, Vancouver police later revealed that Anton wasn't involved in any criminal activities and declined to charge him. Camille Cacnio, a
University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
student who stole two pairs of pants during the riot, expressed concerns that the online backlash had gone too far. She claimed that she had lost her job, lost friends, and that online posters had encouraged directing donations away from the Enspire Foundation, a charity that she was formerly involved in, due to her actions.


Financial losses

CBC News CBC News is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC ...
reported that the destruction caused by the rioters was worse than the 1994 riot, which cost around $1.1 million in damages. In 2016, B.C.'s crown prosecutors estimated that the riots cost $9 million, with damages costing around $4 million, and extra staffing costs for prosecution totaling around $5 million. Several large-scale stores such as London Drugs, The Bay,
Sears Canada Sears Canada Inc. was a publicly-traded Canadian company affiliated with the American-based Sears department store chain. In operation from September 18, 1952 until January 14, 2018, and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, the company began as S ...
and
Future Shop Future Shop was a Canadian electronics store chain. It was established in 1982 by Hassan Khosrowshahi. By 1990, the chain had become the country's largest retailer of computer and consumer electronics. In October 2012, the company operated 149 l ...
were among many that were looted. In 2016, the ICBC won a lawsuit against 82 rioters, in which the defendants were found jointly liable for damages inflicted to automobiles during the riot. Of the defendants, 37 settled with the insurer, 35 received default judgements, and 10 went to trial. Nine of those ten were found liable. Sean Yates was the only defendant represented by a lawyer, and was found to be not liable due to insufficient evidence against him. This was despite a video of him throwing a
mannequin A mannequin (sometimes spelled as manikin and also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off dif ...
through the window of a burning car, which the judge compared to "kicking a dead horse" as the car was already destroyed.


Independent review

An independent review commissioned by the Province of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver released its 396-page report titled ''The Night the City Became a Stadium'' on August 31, 2011. This report labeled alcohol consumption as a primary cause of the riot. Additionally, the report concluded that the
Vancouver Police Department The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) () is the police force in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Greater Vancouver, Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the provinc ...
's reinforcements arrived too late to control the crowd, although because the crowd had 155,000 people, it would be impossible for any sized police force to prevent the riot. The department had 446 officers at the riot, which increased to 928 by the end of the evening. The report laid out 53 recommendations for preventing a similar occurrence in the future, including the development of a regional framework for cooperation between emergency services in the event of a riot, and for TransLink to better control alcohol around the transit system. Additionally, the report found that a core group of 1,000 rioters were primarily responsible for the riot.


Media coverage

The riots sparked intense media coverage and attention on the local, national, and international level. Local media coverage of the riots began almost immediately after the game ended, with the local
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
, CTV and Global BC stations all running news coverage of the riots, with CTV and CBC doing so from studios located in downtown Vancouver itself.
CBC News Network CBC News Network (formerly CBC Newsworld) is a Canadian English-language specialty news channel owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). It is Canada's first all-news channel, and the world's third-oldest television service of this ...
started running live coverage in conjunction with its nationally broadcast evening news show '' The National'', with one reporter calling in her reports from inside the riot. Prominent publications such as ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...
'', ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' and ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' published editorials critical of the riots and its participants, as well as the city, noting the stark contrast between the Stanley Cup playoffs and the
2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...
. The ''
Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...
'' provided coverage of the riots in addition to coverage of the Bruins' Stanley Cup celebrations, with other Boston media outlets providing their coverage of the riots.


Kissing couple photograph

During the riot, a photograph that depicted a young couple kissing while lying in the street during the riot, became an iconic image of the riots. This photograph, taken by Vancouver-based sports photographer Richard Lam, went viral on social media. ''Sports Illustrated'' called it "the most compelling sports image of the year". The photograph has been used worldwide in marketing campaigns, and is also used as the album cover of ''
A Place for Us to Dream ''A Place for Us to Dream'' is a compilation album by the English alternative rock musical band, band Placebo (band), Placebo. It was released on 7 October 2016, as part of the band's twentieth anniversary celebrations. It consists of 36 tracks, ...
'', a 2016 compilation album by the English
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band
Placebo A placebo ( ) can be roughly defined as a sham medical treatment. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. Placebos are used in randomized clinical trials ...
. At first, many viewers suspected the scene had been staged. Lam pushed back on this suggestion: "What you don't see in the frame is that twenty feet beyond is the mounted olicesquad, on horseback. I don't think they were in any mood for people to be playing around setting something up like this." The couple, who would be identified as Alexandra Thomas of Coquitlam, British Columbia, and Scott Jones of
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, Western Australia, claimed that they were knocked down by the police's riot shields. Video evidence posted on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
later backed up their claims. In June 2016, it was reported that Thomas and Jones live in Perth, where they sleep under a poster copy of the photograph. As of 2021, the couple has remained together and are raising a family.


See also

*
Breach of the peace Breach of the peace or disturbing the peace is a legal term used in constitutional law in English-speaking countries and in a public order sense in the United Kingdom. It is a form of disorderly conduct. Public order England, Wales and Norther ...
* Collective effervescence *
Crowd psychology Crowd psychology (or mob psychology) is a subfield of social psychology which examines how the psychology of a group of people differs from the psychology of any one person within the group. The study of crowd psychology looks into the actions ...
*
Disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions, such as the United States and China. Typically, "disorderly conduct" is a term used to refer to any behavior that is considered unacceptable in a formal, civilized or controlled environment. ...
*
Hooliganism Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, often in connection with crowds at sporting events. A hooligan is a person that engages in illicit reckless behaviors and is a public nuisance. Etymology ...
* '' I'm Just Here for the Riot'', a 2023 ESPN documentary on this riot *
Public intoxication Public intoxication, also known as "drunk and disorderly" and "drunk in public", is a summary offense in certain countries related to public cases or displays of drunkenness. Public intoxication laws vary widely by jurisdiction, but usually requ ...


References


External links


Hockey Riot 2011
- Vancouver Police Department
Vancouver Riots: New Life to Old Law
{{DEFAULTSORT:2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
Stanley Cup riot Vancouver Stanley Cup riot Vancouver Stanley Cup riot
riot A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
Crime in Vancouver History of the Boston Bruins History of the Vancouver Canucks Hooliganism Riot 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot Riot 2011 Riots and civil disorder in Canada Sports riots