Congrats to La Roche Saskatchewan

They've just proven that people in some parts of Canada can riot without any hockey game in sight! I can't help but wonder why 50-70 people caused a riot - though alcohol can always be a factor.

Curious about Canada's top 10 riots, click here. Of course it comes to no surprise that a percentage of them are hockey related! In the top 10, 4 are hockey related, and 6 happened in Montreal - and 7 in the province of Quebec, 2 at the University I attended, Concordia at the St George Williams Campus downtown!  Here's another place that talks about Montreal riots. 

UK Rioters hoods

We all figured the people who took to the streets in London were the poor, the disenfranchised, the youth, those from minority groups, in general all those affected by austerity cuts.  Surprisingly once a percentage of the rioters were arrested, it was found some had jobs, some came from well to-do families and a large majority were white. What gives?

No matter what anyone says, going around, destroying other people's property and attacking the police is NOT a way to protest anything. Once you resort to violence, how can you have any legitimacy? 

And then you have the Syrian Ambassador trying to compare the 'Armed gangs" rioting in London with the "armed gangs" protesting in Syria [Meaning peaceful protesters].  Besides the police in London has shown restraint. Although they have been authorized the use of rubber bullets, they have not resorted to using them. Unlike Bashar who uses Tanks, and anti-aircraft missiles and whatever else he can to attack peaceful protesters and civilians alike, including the infrastructure in many parts of Syria.

The brave people of Syria are still out there protesting peacefully in large numbers. There has been more then 2000 dead, more then 3000 disappeared, more then 20000 detained and 6000 wounded.

Riot in London

Saturday night a peaceful protest in front of  a police station in Tottenham, North of London turned violent into a riot like London hadn't seen in years. The protest was over the shooting death of Mark Doggan by police.

It sucks when people's good intentions turn into a violent force that inspires the worst out of us humans.

Vancouver riots much like Montreal

I've been reading more in the newspaper about the rioting in Vancouver after the loss of the game. Heck I even checked out a "conspiracy theory" video about the riots on Youtube. Here's my take on it:

On the first couple of nights they had the giant screens downtown Vancouver the police and security managed to keep the amount of people entering the area under control and the area securely cordoned off. On the night of the riot, a large number of youths rushed one of the entry points and managed to get in. Once one of the entry points was breached, they opened  all the others because people need a place to leave from, if people just pour in.  Obviously it was handled poorly.

Once one of the gates was breached, people should have been warned.   The conspiracy buff thinks they did it on purpose to create a riot situation. I don't think so. Perhaps fact the previous nights were more quiet, security got more complacent, less well coordinated? Stranger things have happened.  Sometimes it's the ego of people who lead the teams that cause lack of teamwork and coordination between the various police forces used.

If there's one thing I've learned living in Montreal, it's to sniff the riots before they happen. I really have a strong aversion to angry mobs. You would think most  people do right? However I know some seem drawn to being part of a mob, especially a rioting one.  I stay well away from them if I can help it. So whether or not I care about hockey or watch hockey, I generally know when the Montreal Canadians play in playoffs to avoid downtown Montreal those nights like the plague. 

I can't say I know what prompted me not to go to the Metallica/GnR concert in 1992 that turned nasty, because I was a huge fan of both.  I also avoided the mob at the Genesis concert at Jarry Park in 1982,   because I was sitting at the far end of the park nowhere near the stage or stadium for that matter. I'd already seen Genesis at the Forum earlier that year and didn't have budget to see them again, but I figured I could listen for free.  That kept me away from crowds and problems.

I mean if there's something predictable it's the rioting after hockey games. The Canadians don't even have to be playing at home for it to happen either. I remember when I was living in a triplex in RDP,  in 1986 that year the Canadians won the Stanley cup. I remember the night well it was quite warm out so the windows were opened. I was watching the game, neighbours were cheering so loud. By the middle of the 3rd period many of them poured out into the streets and into their cars. Some just drove around the neighbourhood honking and cheering and making noise, others went downtown and joined what became the riot of 1986.  I didn't need to be there to know it was going to happen. Perhaps it's because 5 of Canada's hockey riots happened in Montreal.  The remaining ones were 2 in Vancouver and one in Edmonton. Here's a list. Out of the 5 that happened I was an adult for 4 of them.

I know that for the duration of the playoffs, each night the Canadians played, large number of police was deployed in the downtown core in 2011. I also know  when Montrealers rioted in 2010, many of them were found via photos and videos taken from cellphones by other people in the crowd.  I've been reading many people who are against this policing by social media. It's funny too, because some of them who are adamant that it's not cool to tell on your friends to the cops or to tell on anyone to the cops using photos and videos on your cell phone, are the same people who support the protesters in Syria against the regime and support their use of the photos and videos taken from cell phones.  Which leads me to think that a percentage of people here who support the Syrians are just supporting them to be anti authority and anti police and not really pro-democracy? Just pondering out loud here.

I wonder how those same people are enjoying their tax dollars go up in flames each time a kid decides it's a good idea to torch a police car?  I don't think throwing them in jail is the solution either. You just turn them more criminal.  No you torched a police car? That's a bill for 50k [Or whatever the cost is for the car that was damaged]. You can pay it up front if you have that kind of cash, you don't well, now you have car payments for the next 5 years.   Put them all to work to pay for what they destroyed.  Was going to school full time ? Sorry, now you're working full time on restitution.

One comment I read on one of the news articles I read said "What's the big deal? The stores affect just collect from their insurance. No one got killed".  No.  But again they need to be held accountable. Besides it's reasoning like this that made my insurance bill 30% steeper this year. 

There has to be a fine balance. Vancouver was screaming not too long ago that their police were too aggressive. Now as an aftermath of this riot Vancouver is screaming their police is too passive. We have also been screaming in Montreal recently after that innocent bystander was shot by police, and should they have been shooting in this situation? Lets not forget how at the G20/G8 event, they were arresting Quebecois to prevent them from doing illegal things? Last I checked going to protest an event is not illegal.  That was a horrible abuse of power right there. Read more.

Somehow the police force has to be able to anticipate riot creating events, such as hockey games for us crazy Canucks, and deploy enough men and use just enough reasonable force to keep large groups of people from turning into a rioting mob, without themselves turning on the people.  Such a fine line between a police state and a lawless state...

They riot in Vancouver too, when they lose the Stanley Cup

One of the things I've always hated about Montreal is that when the Canadians play in Stanley cup finals, whether the game is played at home or away, there are often revellers angry at lost or jubilant for a win, who take to the streets, and among them there is always a rioting/looting element.  I mean even protests for a cause end up with rioters/looters, who take advantage of the situation to damage store fronts and steal merchandise.  Others just like breaking things and putting cars on fire.

I know the last time it happened in Montreal, people came forward with video's and photo's taken on their cell phones to help police.  This seems to be a new trend. I guess people like me who find it appalling that every time a large group amasses in Montreal, a riot breaks out, who are helping police identify those who cause the problems so they can be brought to justice.

After the game in Vancouver last night, which sadly the Canucks lost 4-0 to Boston, there was rioting in the streets of Vancouver. Before the evening was over there was two new Facebook groups.  One who's aim is to ID the rioters, that attracted 20,000 people in less then 12 hours, and a second who's aim was to clean up the mess left after the riot in Vancouver. I applaud those who came up with these groups. If citizens who are concerned for their city get together like this in the future there will be a lot less rioting in Canada. People do it in large groups because they figure they can get away with it. If they no longer get away with it, they will think twice before damaging someone else property.

I generally try to avoid being part of  large groups of people because I know most often then not there is a component that encourages violence, looting and rioting. Perhaps thanks to social media and camera phones I'll have to spend less time worrying where I should not be and more time enjoying myself.