Angry Canadians run amok after Canucks' loss

A police car burns during a riot in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, June 15, 2011 following the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins in game 7 of the Stanley Cup hockey final. / AP

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Angry, drunken fans ran wild Wednesday night after the Vancouver Canucks' 4-0 loss to Boston in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, setting cars and garbage cans ablaze, smashing windows, showering giant TV screens with beer bottles and dancing atop overturned vehicles.

Later, looters smashed windows and ran inside department stores.

"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 the Bay department store, looters were seen grabbing T-shirts and anything else they could get their hands on. Young women were seen escaping with 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.

The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup

"It's terrible," Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said, shaking his head. "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."

Photos: NHL Stanley Cup finals

NBA star Steve Nash, from Vancouver 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.

There were no immediate indications of injuries, although images were shown on television of at least one woman mopping blood from her forehead.

"You don't ever hope for a situation like this," Vancouver police Const. Jana McGuinness said. "You celebrate the good times and you prepare for the bad times and that's exactly what we've done. Unfortunately, the tables have turned tonight. ... We will have to sit down and evaluate exactly what happened here. It's going to be a black mark for a very, very long time."

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson praised the police and firefighters and asked people to stay away from the central downtown area.

"It is extremely disappointing to see the situation in downtown Vancouver turn violent after tonight's Stanley Cup game," Robertson said. "Vancouver is a world-class city and it is embarrassing and shameful to see the type of violence and disorder we've seen tonight.

"The vast majority of people who were in the downtown tonight were there to enjoy the game in a peaceful and respectful manner. It is unfortunate that a small number of people intent on criminal activity have turned pockets of the downtown into areas involving destruction of property and confrontations with police."

Tear gas mingled with the stench of acrid smoke and stale beer as riot police, truncheons drawn, moved in to quell the violence, pushing crowds away from the burning cars.

Later, police cars also were set on fire. At one point, police were using flash-bangs — grenades that are designed to distract and disorient, rather than injure — to try to break up the mob, said Chad McMillan, 31, a Vancouver resident and Canucks fan.

"This isn't what the Canucks are about," McMillan said. "This isn't what their fans are about. This isn't what this city is about."

Flames leaped from at least two overtuned vehicles in the middle of rubbish-strewn streets, filling the downtown core with heavy black smoke in the moments immediately following the game.

"I heard a loud noise and turned and there was a car being stomped on by a bunch of guys," 18-year-old witness Brandon Sinclair said about the first few moments of violence.

"A bunch of guys started rocking it, then they flipped it over and five minutes later it was on fire and then they flipped another one. It was just out of control."

Bright orange flames were seen shooting nearly 10 yards into the air as bystanders tossed firecrackers.

Television images showed a large fire burning inside a parking garage, but it wasn't clear what was ablaze.

A small group of rioters appeared to be at the heart of the action reminiscent of a similar scene that erupted in the city in 1994 following the Canucks' Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers.

Flames erupted an exploding car, prompting bystanders to duck down in alarm. Fans who were trying simply to get out of the danger zone found their visibility reduced by the thick black smoke.

About an hour after the game ended, some bold troublemakers started hurling garbage and bottles at police officers, who deflected the debris with riot shields. Protesters who rushed the police line were quickly subdued with blows from truncheons.

Some protesters held what looked like pipes or hockey sticks over their heads as they jeered at officers. Newspaper boxes were wrenched off the sidewalk and hurled through store windows. Portable toilets were tipped as the stifling black smoke spread through the city's core.

Some seemed to revel in the rampage, recording the vandalism on cell phones and video cameras. A few congratulated those who tried to attack police, and others erupted with cheers every time something was damaged. Fans set fire to a stuffed bear decorated to symbolize the Bruins, while others sang a drunken tune as they danced on an overturned vehicle.

At least two young men covered in soot reported being roughed up by the police, but they weren't arrested. Rivers of poured-out alcohol, broken glass and trash made navigating the streets treacherous.

Fans wandered amid the chaos, some with bandanas or T-shirts pulled over their faces — either to hide their faces from police and TV cameras or to guard against the smoke, or both.

[credibility2]

Anyone that riots over something this inane is a severe mental defective. Civilized and intelligent society doesn't function like this. Too bad the cops didn't open fire on the crowd, using live ammunition. Society would have been better had that been done to these young mongrel miscreants.

[M C]

Make sure you report the CLEANUP!

THOUSANDS of Vancouverites (many, MANY times more than the number of rioters) were out at the crack of dawn and had the streets completely cleaned by mid-day.

Positive messages are being written on boarded-up windows, and businesses have helped feed the volunteers.

THAT, my friends, is what the City of Vancouver is "about."

[M C]

And as far as claiming any city corners the market on rioting, I think most of you live in glass houses yourselves, so put those bricks down.

In Seattle, for example, we once rioted over Mardi Gras.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

This is not an isolated accident. I live close to the I-5 border ..... the exact same thing happened in 94 when the Canucks lost to the Rangers. I'm not sure, but I seem to remember trouble in 1981?, too. It was particularly unsafe to bring a car with American plates into Vancouver for many months after the 94 loss.

Sorry to make generalizations, but there is something definitely wrong (in general) with the people from Vancouver who are of British descent. People from Victoria, the Island, a ferry ride north of Vancouver, and everywhere else I've ever been in Canada, they are very wonderful folks. But I'm sick of dealing with the selfishness and downright criminal nature of those from Vancouver.

[IMHO88]

This is why I can't stand Vancouver. Boston has a tradition of winning teams whether in basketball, baseball, hockey , and even football. Boston's got class. All Vancouver has is hockey and even then, the people in the city are so provincial that they actually believe the rest of the world cares about hockey. So they over inflate the importance of the game because they cannot grasp the idea that a city can have more than one professional sports team. Any chance they get in Vancouver, the yahoos come out to make idiots of themselves. With this kind of attitude lying just below the surface, Vancouver will never win... nor does it deserve to.

[jd2408]

I wonder if it would help if the Mayor of a city announced before an event such as this that there will be people in the town taking video and if anything happens all people in the crowd at that time will be fined a large fine. People not causing trouble may stay away and with the spectators gone it would be easier for police to control the troublemakers. As it is now, the spectators are taking part regardless if they do damage or not and they make it hard for police to control the area.

[canoops]

Typical Canadians can't hold their liquor. I would have fired live rounds into the mob. That would have cleared things up.

[student1776]

Probably they should stop selling alcohol at the end of the second period.

[Okiefolks]

IT IS A CHILD'S GAME FOLKS! Grow up! What a buncha Maroons!

[Pipper10]

Come-on people - did you really think that there would be any other reaction than a full scale riot in response to loosing four games in a row in such a devastating manner. Vancouver can do better than they did. They deserve to see the fans response. I also blame heightened media hype for stiring fans up into such frenzy.

[tim_in_seattle]

"This isn't what the Canucks are about," McMillan said. "This isn't what their fans are about. This isn't what this city is about."

well, if this is happening, then this IS what you are about. If it happens again, then you will be 'about' it moreso. Boston mobilized forces ahead of the game because they knew their fans couldn't be trusted to celebrate responsibly, Vancouver will do the same in the future, becoming more 'about' that than what they thought they were 'about' before. My suggestion, for what it is worth, is to throw the book at whatever rioters can be identified through pictures and videos, punish to the greatest extent of your weak laws and nip this in the bud, it will only grow if you try to ignore it and pretend that Vancouver is not 'about' this hooliganism.