Vancouver Riots 2011 A Night Of The Neanderthals

A battered guy on the ground wearing a Bruins jersey. A security guard getting the shit beat out of him, simply trying to stop looters from destroying his store. This colossal asshole above with the bloodied manikin leg, god only knows how it got that way. Looking at the video, the images, it’s like some foreign land, but unfortunately it’s Vancouver, and all the positive imagery of the last few years evaporated in one painful night.

I lived in Vancouver a long time ago, and I’ve since returned many times, it’s a fantastic, vibrant city. The last time I was in Vancouver, the city was sprucing itself up for the Olympics, full of pride and ready to show off it’s splendor to the world. Some called it the greatest Olympics in history, particularly the beautiful expressions, people taking to the streets to celebrate and share. We all know there were other stories of drunkenness and unseemly behaviour, but the overall vibe was simply tremendous and all Canadians felt pride that Vancouver had done such a exceptional job, even more the people that organically made for such spectacular scenes.

I have a confession to make, I don’t like the Canucks. Not sure why, maybe it’s a Leafs fan thing, but I find it hard to cheer for the team, despite past residence. However, I cheered for the city, because I know the passion and I absolutely LOVED the outdoor gatherings, it reminded me of the Olympics, it was CEMENTING Vancouver as a beautiful community, almost uplifting. One caveat, I’ve always hoped we could see such expression evolve from more than mere sport, but hey, you take what you can get.

What is particularly sad about last night, it was the very scenes of outdoor glee, massive crowds gathering to unite and share that ultimately turned into the most ugly display imaginable. All that positive energy, all the lead up throughout the playoffs, all the goodwill, absolutely obliterated, replaced by blood and fire, apocalyptic scenes and asinine residents. It is a real shame, because these images are being beamed across the world and Vancouver’s image is forever sullied.

It really is amazing that 63 nights of playoff bliss immediately transforms into the most primal nonsense imaginable, erasing everything prior. What a shameful mess.