Reader “T.G.” | “I am crying. My city is on fire.” | Vancouver, BC | 9:30pm | SHARE YOUR VIEW
We love posting the photographs that reveal the views from our reader’s windows. Whether it’s a back alley in the fall or a sandy beach in high summer, we’re always stoked to see what you see from home, work or while on the road. Some of our all-time favourite reader submissions after the jump…
it is heartbreaking that the people of Vancouver would be setting it ablaze OVER A GAME!!! The picture will be a very sad reminder of a disgraceful moment in Vancouver’s history.
To be clear, it’s a shame that about 100 people set fire to two cars, not vancouver itself, and that 100k ppl stayed to take pictures and tweet it, face book it, blog it, whatever it.
An audience is a helluva drug.
Jason. That’s the third stupidest thing I’ve heard about last night.
#1. It;s a handful of troublemakers. Mayor Gregor Robertson
#2. These aren’t hockey fans. Mike Killeen on CTV.
#3. See Above.
You don’t have to be a genius to observe that there were thousands of people involved in one way or another. More then half were wearing some sort of Canuck gear and they weren’t downtown to see Wicked at the QE.
I’m disappointed I only got to third. There probably WERE Canucks fans in there. Just because you’re a fan doesn’t mean you’re impervious to mob mentality or the chants of eggers-on or the thrill of violence (especially when young and hopped up on hormones and booze).
But I stand by my guess that the majority of the people downtown were just watching, egging on, and getting in the way of the police (while trying to keep a steady hand on their camera phone).
I suppose I’m wondering what you mean by ‘involved in one way or another’. And, of course, if you were actually there to observe all this, I stand corrected.
And maybe this guy is talking out of his ass, but he has the same view: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/gary_mason/busting-myths-of-vancouvers-destructive-stanley-cup-riot/article2063729/
A lot of people would like to think that these problems are caused by a few criminal types who show up and cause havoc and then fade into the night.
I think there are a lot of hockey fans in this city in their twenties that think they are part of a tribe that includes them and the team. They buy swag, they decorate their cars and when frustrated by a loss, they need to show how hardcore they are by rioting. To prove it they need to get their pictures clicked making the devil horns sign in front of a burning automobile.
Leading up to last night these young men were worked into a fever pitch by pre-drinking and by the time the game was over they were either pissed and angry or hungover and angry. The guys in the various Canuckmobiles were now past honking their horns and were now ready to burn shit.