Will There Be an Olympic Hockey Riot?
 

The more images I see of masses of twenty-something guys crowded into downtown, many obviously fueled by alcohol, the more I can see it happening. Whether Team Canada wins or loses. I hope there are some good plans in place to deal with it.

Vancouver loves a good riot. However, I think the police presence is A LOT higher than 1994, which should squash things pretty fast.

I'm a bit scared of this too. Emotions will be hyper no matter the outcome. Be sure the media will be ready for this, and catch every dirty detail.

We need a PSA from Wayne Gretzky or something... address the nation.

i don't think so

if you go out people are not mad or angry they are happy

its a completely different vibe than anything i have felt on a typical crowded downtown night

its nothing like the vibe you get when the fireworks are on

:P Well, if Canada loses in the Gold Medal game like the Canucks did against the Rangers...

Happy mood probably be gone :(

i doubt it - people are not that hockey obsessed

the police force is more extreme too - on thursday at robson and granville the police must have ben over 20 on that one section - telling people to keep moving no stopping allowed

:haha: What? I'm pretty sure that's the ONLY thing that matters to probably around 80% of people.

People can pretend to care all they want about the other sports, and results, but when it comes down to it...

EVERY single game of the tournament, both Womens and Mens, no matter who has been playing, has been sold out. Right now Norway and Switzerland are playing in a sold out GM Place.

Ratings have been high across Canada for every game. It will be crazy no matter the outcome :P But scary if Canada loses in the gold ;)

There is way to much of a police presence. Besides I'm pretty sure that a lot of those people you see having fun on the street are undercover cops. So what you actually see in terms of police officers is only just touching the surface.

Also there are entire swat teams and snipers ready to be deployed at a moments notice. You may not see them, but they are available.

:D I saw snipers on the rooftops around the Opening Ceremony. It made me nervous.

I wanted to take a picture, but, I didn't want to aim a long pointy object at a sniper.

u have a long pointy object? oh wait this isn't SSC ;)

I have been secretly worried about this for a while now. I see a perfect storm of factors that make a riot very possible:

1) People are getting so amped-up about hockey, and the pressure on Team Canada to win the gold is building and building. The disappointment of a loss (or over-exuberance of a win) could push emotions over the top.

2) I have heard reports that the massive crowds out there are not always so family-friendly and benevolent, but at times somewhat rowdy, and alcohol and testosterone-influenced.

3) The probability that anti-olympics militants are planning to exploit these perfect conditions for violence.

4) Vancouver history.

I just hope that the authorities are not relying on the general good will and benevolence of the people, but are consciously developing specialized, well-thought out plans to stifle any potential flashpoints for a riot. Just having extra security on the street is not enough. (Having enough forces to crush a riot cannot be considered a success. If a riot gets going even for a brief moment, then the Vancouver Games will be remembered as a horrible failure, regardless of every good thing that occured.) They have to have special, counter-riot plans in place sufficient to stifle any possible flashpoints, thus stopping even the beginnings of a riot.

I think the key is to have an over-abundant number of specialized, undercover units moving among the crowds ready to pounce on any troublemakers. This must also be supplemented by ubiquitous surveillance which can pinpoint any developing trouble anywhere in the city and communicate the locations to forces on the ground.

The place most likely to riot... the Granville/Robson strip has become a Live Site of its own. How do security measures differ between a bona fide Live Site and this one? (this is a bit of a rhetoical question)

Depends on the situation, and how the game/s play out. I'll go out on a limb and say at least one guy will riot.

they are putting more officers down there tonight

last night they had unprecedented numbers of people and they are expecting the same tonight

they were reports of stabbings last night too

Given last weekend's foolishness, a large police presence is justified.

There were reports of stabbings? Where? The Vancouver police spokesperson said there were no major incidents - I'm pretty sure a stabbing would count as a major incident.

ctv mentioned several stabbings downtown during their afternoon news broadcast, but did not elaborate on details.

that is where i heard it on CTV

watching global news now

^ Wierd. Well, google doesn't seem to know about it yet. I have a feeling the media would have been all over this if there had been multiple stabbings in the same night in an olympic party zone. That's unfortunate if true.

they showed some footage of a guy being taken down by police and police poruign out beer etc

I would be pleasantly surprised if there wasn't a hockey riot... win or loss.

global didn't give much news but said there was a large fight downtown and thats where the stabbings occured

VPD shut down liquor stores downtown at 7pm Saturday. Obviously a sign they're getting worried.
http://www.news1130.com/news/local/a...s-this-evening

Hmm. I went to one later than that. THAT would have caused riots :P

EDIT: Oh, wow. I'm lost :P I thought today was Sunday... I actually went to that exact liquor store lastnight ;) There was a line out the door.

Which is kind of sad.

Off-sales are apparently still happening, which kind of defeats the purpose of the liquor store closure. If the weather turns nasty (and it's supposed to), it might dampen the excesses as well. Lets hope.

I wondered what was going on i passed a store and it had a sign that said the city ordered them to shut down I thought why? I saw plenty of people drinking though and i didn't see police stop anyone not when i was there and lots of pot smell everywhere

also surprised to see some small kids with i assume their partying parents walking granville at midnight

I think it depends on who plays in the gold medal game. I mean, we're all expecting Canada to play. Its wonderful that we're all united on that front, and it would be an absolutely shameful embarrassment if we didn't get that far on home soil. After all, we DO have home ice advantage. However, to play devils advocate here for a moment, what happens if Canada DOESN'T play for a medal? I know, we don't want to think about that, but its possible. It COULD just happen?

Personally though, I think we're in medal contention for sure. I just think it depends on the out come of the game. If we win gold, there won't be a riot. If we win silver and lose the the USA, there will be a riot. I think thats the only country we can't lose against in order to keep the peace.

...that said, if we do lose the gold to the USA, I'll be the dork that loots Chapters :banana: :tup: :haha:

there was one moment tonight when i thought a fight would break out on granville a group of USA guys chanting USA were quickly surrounded and drowned out by guys yelling CANADA back at them but it didn;t turn into anything but a yelling match the USA people seemed pretty cool about it the canadians were the more aggressive

Funny things about riots is usually it is not that many people who start it. Buit the general crowd joins in that makes it worse. So if the general crowd turns against the people who are trying to start the riot, then the riot will not grow

Personally I'd love to see a crowd beat up a bunch of idiots who figure it is cool to try and start a riot :)

unfortunately the crowd is full of idiots

Hence forth why I feel the police should just shoot and kill anyone involved in a riot. No questions asked. I know it cruel, but that is how I feel.

I'm glad this isn't Iran...

:haha: You may or may not agree with me. Which is fine. But I do feel once an idiot always an idiot. Hence forth and idiot's life is worth nothing.

i was standing at robson square to watch the 9:30 show thing and there was some east indians beside me and one had a Canada jersey on - the other guy bought a Russia one along with some russia stuff at the bay i assumer and some loud mouth guy kept saying anti-russian things out loud and it was so stupid like keep your idiot comments to yourself

:haha: yeah, you're damn straight I disagree with you. The problem with that idea is what happens if you happen to be in the right place at the wrong time. Like, you're minding your own business, then a riot breaks out, and you have to push your way out of the crowds and a sniper shoots you? Or, what if you're just one of the innocent people out having a good time celebrating and the riot breaks out around you? I mean, I get what you're trying to say, but we have the system in place that we do to deal with riots so as not to harm innocent bystanders.

Pot calling the kettle black?

Ron.

Woah cabotp, lots of calls for violence this morning from you in this thread and others.... maybe you should layoff the coffee and video games....

I have to say, I am somewhat worried about this possibility too: see, my wife and I were just down in Mexico, and all we got there was CNN and BBC (no NBC). Anyways, they were ONLY showing negative stories about the olympics... BBC showed a scathing story on the downtown eastside and the "worst drug problem in North America" ... CNN showed the luge death over and over, and the lack of snow.. imagine what they'll do with a sensational story like a hockey riot...

I think ending an olympics, already flush with various glitches, with a riot would add some mustard to the critics calling it the worst ever games : /

LOL - I could just see Jacque Rogge approaching the microphone during the closing ceremonies as downtown is awash in fights and violence...

"Worst. Games. Ever!!"

you sir are a simpleton.

If there is a riot it will be only because of police interference. Since I think our police force is filled with absolute morons from top to bottom then I sure wont be suprised. Their already heading that way by over policing and interfering with citizens simly having fun.

And closing liquor stores at 7pm on a saturday during the olympics, giving tickets out to people having a beer on the street, how fuckin stupid can the police and our city be. Idiots.

Couldn't agree more with the over policing/security. I've thought the liquor stores should've been allowed to be open until 2am during the games. This prevents major sales and people stocking up on booze, and therefore drinking more in a shorter period of time.

I also doubt the protesters that damaged the HBC or the Hotel Georgia site were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

^^ Agreed with above 2.
From an economic standpoint, the police is better off encouraging a riot since it scares the general public and they get more funding as a result.

So now we know who is holding the "Investigate 911" sign during the CTV broadcasts on Robson Street.

The riot begins now! :hell:

Quick, Downtown In Riot Yet ???

i just watched this live from china, i guess it is a war lost...

the narrator kept affirming how much the canadian players earnt, and how slow they were, i guess they were carrying too much cash on them they couldn't move quick enough...

and kesler....

OMG Sears is on fire! This is what happens when SSP'ers riot!

http://www.livestream.com/bcmclivechannel

;)

Ron.

and Canada is losing to China in curling too

lol

A bit early to call the game no? Who had last stone in the 1st?