Vancouver Riot 2011 - Smoking BC Bud and Smoking Police Cars

The Canucks Bruins Hockey game is not the cause. To the criminals this was an 'opportunity'.  Whether the Canucks won or lost, the criminals were there to loot. What made matters worse was the alcohol, drugs and gawkers.  What was the saddest to watch was not psychopaths and sociopaths targetting stores for violence and ganging up violently on individuals for gang violence and stabbing, it was the gawkers and photographers.  These people equally presented as above the law and not obligated to respond to police demands to clear the area.  Fire fighters seeking to put out the fires were attacked.
The sophisticated criminals used these crowds as shields for their pillage and destruction.  While it is great that there will be extensive photographic evidence of the principal ringleaders, who likely have long rap sheets already, it is an appalling matter when citizens disobey the direct rule of the police wanting to restore order in an obvious riot.

It's the gawkers that frightened me becuase those that 'hung around' to watch and play with their iphones are the very people who necessitate communities institute 'martial law', restrict civil liberties and increase police powers in times of crisis.  It's these 'bystanders' that allow the state to justify offensive behaviour when people gather for 'political action'. This was nothing to so with Gandhi, Thoreau or citizens rights to congregate in face of tyranny.  Egypt has Freedom Square. China has Tieneman Square.  Canada now has Robson and Geogia and nothing could be more shameful and ludicrous.  If the rest of the world sees us as  fat, fatuous and silly, we thoroughly deserve it.

A sports event used as cover for terrorist violence puts the families and children at risk who came with reasonable expectation of safety.  Because the crowds would not disperse the police could not target the criminal element and their leaders.  I would think that there is need for education of the 'masses' in this regard and the best education would be fines.

To my mind, the riot was 'Bachanailan" and the crowd's 'zombie' like behaviour was Cheech and Chong.  It all made me want to make the hilarious but true Canadian  "Spider's on Drugs" youtube clip required viewing for all students starting in elementary school and yearly thereafter.  I would hope that all those caught would be drug tested so that the exemplary modern BC Drug Court could have more grist for it's excellent rehabilitative mill.

There are millions of dollars of damage. Mayor Gregor Robertson called this "despicable' and labelled the cause 'hooligans'.  He promised that they would be held 'accountable.'  While looters were breaking the store windows of the Bay and making away with furs and coats, Shirley Bond, solictor general, admitting to watching CTV as we were, described these people as behaving 'like criminals'.  Shirley Bond should be held accountable for her inability to distinguish criminal behaviour from 'pseudo criminal behaviour' because clearly part of the Vancouver problem is the Shirley Bonds who would say murderers are behaving "like murderers".  In contrast Mayor Gregor Robertson praising the Vancouver Police and calling for citizens to disperse to allow ambulances and fire departments to do their jobs was a shining light compared  to her "despicable" dullness.

The smell of BC Bud filled the air before the smell of burning police cars.  Liquor store sales were stopped that day but it was argued they should have been stopped 2 days ahead.  I would simply argue that there is history of those who 'sold firewarter to the Indians during the Indian wars' being punished for contributing to the destruction that followed.  I argue that liquor stores and alcohol companies be accountable for damages.  Simply collect the broken bottles and cans of retailers and hold them responsible for paying for  damages. Present Budweiser a bill of say $100 for every can found at such scenes of mass violence to force these retailers to take responsbile action in discouraging alcohol abuse since they claim they only promote responsible alcohol use.  I would think that overnight we'd see a whole different line of advertising from beer producers.

Further drug dealers should be targetted before and after such public debacles and held accountable financially.  Take their assets. Have a crackdown with confiscation and sale of assets of marijuana users.  As Robert Graves long ago showed even mushrooms can be used as a drug of violence since any drug that impairs judgement will contribute to violence. In Africa marijuana is a principal drug of violence.  BC Bud has become that here.  In the past marijuana was considered a drug of peace because it was used by jazz smokers.  That's 30 years ago. Marijuana is the drug found at ghetto violence today.  It's second only to alcohol in association with crime and violence.

The only fault I would have with the organization of city events is that we know it's the drunks and druggies that become the herd the psychopaths hide behind.  It would have helped, I believe,   if the laws against public consumption of alcohol and against public drug abuse including smoking marijuana were enforced at the outset.  It's no different from a high school dance. Don't let drugs or alcohol into the stadium and arrest those who have the means.  Of course there is violence and drugs and alcohol at school dances but it occurs in the parking lots . I accept that  a city has a whole lot of parking lots limitting immensely the 'prevention' powers of police. However if there was a $5000 fine for consumption of drugs or alcohol at such city wide events and all that was required was pictures or witness, it would go along way to paying for the subsequent damages and discouraging and stopping .those who would show off drinking a bud or lighting up a spliff.  

I hope that those who rolled the BMW and set the Humber on fire go to jail.  If I were to do that to my neighbours car this morning that would occur to me, if I wasn't first put in an insane asylum.  Our laws and law makers should not 'excuse' those who would use 'mass hysteria' as an excuse. If they don't go to jail then at least require they have a forensic psychiatric assessment and mandatory counselling.

This was not a G10 or G20 political rally. This was criminal terrorism.  Further there is clear evidence that it was premeditated and planned with sociopaths preying on the peaceful citizenry and planning on harming police and property.  This wasn't about hockey. These are not sportsman or Canucks fans. It was exemplary that a  facebook site opened immediately Canucks Fans against Vancouver Riots. The principle purpose of the site was to direct those who had pictures of the criminals looters and gang members to post their pictures for the police to arrest.  No one wants this happening again.

The Vancouver Police and RCMP did a splendid job though I certainly appreciated the fellow on CTV who said that the 'army should have been brought in'. All I hope for is that the rioters, looters, hooligans, bullies are held accountable.  I want their pictures and their crimes pasted on every street corner. To me these people are alot worse than Johns and should deserve no better.  The Conservative Party of Canada prophetically called for new jails.  Perhaps we need stockades as well. I hope at very least that their incomes are 'garnisheed'. Canadians don't want more taxation like the HST to wetnurse criminals.

Finally,  these Vancouver rioters, looters, criminals, gangsters and bullies  should be required  to do community hours for a year in addition scrubbing the Vancouver city buildings to get rid of the smell of BC Bud, piss vomit, crack smoke and burning police cars. Thank goodness Mayor Gregor Robertson and the Vancouver Police were there to limit the destruction.