Vancouver top cop blames Stanley Cup riot on ‘anarchists’

VANCOUVER – As citizen volunteers picked up shovels and garbage bags and gathered in their hundreds in downtown Vancouver to start cleaning up the rubble left by the massive riot following the Canucks’ Game 7 Stanley Cup final loss Wednesday night, Vancouver’s police chief deflected criticism and blamed "anarchists and criminals" for the orgy of destruction and looting.

Chief Jim Chu said he was pleased with the way officers dealt with the situation – the mayhem was stopped within three hours, he said, about half the time it took to deal with the 1994 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot, despite the bigger crowd Wednesday.

He said many off-duty officers came in after seeing the violence on television, and nine suffered injuries from thrown objects and being bitten.

Chu said almost 100 people were arrested, and he expects more arrests as members of the public provide tips, video and photos of what happened.

He said 15 vehicles were set on fire, including two police cars.

The chief referred to those who took part in the riots as "young men and women disguised as Canucks fans who were actually criminals and anarchists. These were people who came equipped with masks, goggles and gasoline, even fire extinguishers that they would use as weapons."

Chu said many had also been arrested in violent protests at last year’s Winter Olympics. He said his office and other agencies will now conduct "several" investigations into what happened in order to prevent a repeat.

"In hindsight, had we known what would happen, we probably would have had more police officers deployed there. But we didn’t know that," Chu said.

The B.C. Crown is looking at establishing a team of prosecutors to deal with charges arising from Wednesday’s riot.

Most of the nearly 100 people arrested by police during the riot following Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final have been released pending investigation.

Vancouver police say 85 people taken into custody for breach of peace were released along with eight arrested for intoxication.

There were eight arrests for such charges as theft, mischief, assault with a weapon and break and enter.

Two people were charged in connection with a stabbing, said police.

Four people were released with a future court date and two cases did not have enough evidence to proceed.

The city woke up Thursday to smashed storefronts, broken bottles and garbage-strewn streets as cleanup crews continued working to clear the rubble.

A trail of bloody footprints outside a coffee shop marked the pavement next to heaps of broken glass, while overturned perfume counters and mannequin limbs lay on the first floors of Sears and the Bay.

"It’s devastating. It’s disgusting," said Mekaela Brion, whose apartment became a haven for 16 of her friends who were trapped downtown Wednesday night.

"It’s on Facebook and YouTube all over the world. People think this is Vancouver, but it’s not. It’s just a small group of idiots."

Plywood covered the windows of many stores in downtown Vancouver, and police tape lined sidewalks.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark vowed that authorities would track down everyone who took part in the riot, and called on everyone who recorded the events of Thursday night to turn over evidence to police.

"If you are responsible, we will hold you responsible. Your family, friends and employers will know," Clark said in a statement released Thursday. "You will not be able to hide behind your hoodie or your bandana.

"The vast majority of citizens gathered and dispersed peacefully, but sadly they also witnessed the mayhem. There were also Good Samaritans there: people who had the guts to stand up for what is right and citizens who showed up the morning after to help with the cleanup.

"These people deserve our thanks. They are the ones who will define our city and our province."

Cameron Brown, 26, was one of those Good Samaritans.

The Vancouver-based sports photographer was left with three stitches above one eye, scrapes on his right knee and hand, and a swollen lip after he tried to put out a fire rioters had lit in a trash can.

"I got a couple jeers, pushes and shoves, but not too much," he said. "And then all of a sudden, next thing I knew, I was on the ground."

The Canucks organization issued a statement condemning the violence.

"The destructive actions and needless violence demonstrated by a minority of people last night in Vancouver is highly disappointing to us all," read the statement.

"As an organization, we would like to thank the law enforcement agencies, fire and rescue workers who displayed courage and expertise during a very difficult situation. We are proud of the city we live and play in, and know that the actions of these misguided individuals are not reflective of the citizens of Vancouver or of any true fans of the Canucks or the game of hockey."

Chu faced aggressive questions at a Thursday news conference about the amount of time it took for police to get the riot under control. Several reporters said they watched as police stood by as rioters set vehicles on fire and looted stores.

But Chu said his officers were following a plan of redeploying into crowd-control equipment and weren’t supposed to put either themselves or innocent bystanders into unpredictable situations.

"When a crowd is this large, it is difficult to go and pick off the instigators and troublemakers," Chu said. "That is what we encountered that night. The crowd was very, very large. At the live sites there was a plan to create corridors for people to get through but they were quickly taken over. Those criminals and anarchists hide behind the large number of people. They were looking for that opportunity."

Some have called for Chu’s resignation, saying he miscalculated the situation.

"This isn’t the first time someone has called for my resignation, and it won’t be the last," he said.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson toured the areas most heavily damaged in the riots.

"There had been absolutely no signs of this coming," he said. "Both during the G20 (leaders’ summit in Toronto) and the 2010 Olympics these thugs were well known to be organizing and preparing to take action and criminal activities on the streets. There were no indications of that leading into last night," he said.

"What we saw last night was atrocious behaviour by people who came downtown to commit criminal acts," he said, voicing praise for the efforts of police and emergency crews.

There was one piece of good news to report: Vancouverites weren’t taking the trashing of their city in stride. People poured into the downtown core Thursday to clean up the broken glass and debris. Over 14,500 people have signed on to attend the Facebook event Clean Up Vancouver.

"There’s been a real outpouring of support from citizens . . . people trying to get our city back," said Robertson. "That kind of spirit is what Vancouver is all about."

"This makes me so angry," said the BC Children’s Hospital researcher Aimee Self, wearing a Canucks jersey and rubber gloves, carrying a garbage bag. "I got downtown as quickly as I could."

The 29-year-old was just one of dozens of citizen street cleaners out on the street just after 7 a.m.

"It was heartbreaking," the hockey fan said of the loss. "But this just makes it worse. I want the world to see the city that I believe in, not this," she said, tearing up, as passersby stopped to thank her.

Wynne Powell, president and CEO of London Drugs, which had an outlet closed Thursday after suffering significant damage in the riot, said it’s difficult to put a dollar amount on the losses at this time. He said he was thankful his staff escaped unharmed.

"This is a sad moment in the history of Vancouver," Powell said.

In Ottawa, federal politicians were united in their condemnation of the rioters. In the House of Commons, Vancouver-Centre MP Hedy Fry called out the "hooligans" who damaged stores.

"Justice must be swift and sure," she said.

Another MP, John Weston, said the riot was "out of step with the character" of British Columbia. The West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country MP said pictures and footage of the riot wouldn’t undo whatever goodwill was created internationally when Vancouver hosted the Olympics.

"I think everybody knows there was a potential when 100,000 people were in the street for something bad to happen and a few small people spoiled the party for everyone else," he said.

Federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews would not comment on how the riots were handled, but said he was "quite saddened" at the violence.

"What the incident does demonstrate is the need for a strong police presence even in apparently benign circumstances and benign gatherings," Toews said.

Dazed fans still in Canucks jerseys and face paint walked through the mess as many left their hotels early Thursday morning to head home.

Courtney Colcough, 20, travelled from Port Alberni, B.C., for the final game. The temporary Canucks tattoos on her cheeks were smeared and she said she hadn’t got much sleep.

"We couldn’t even get back to the hotel," she said. "Police were holding the crowd back, and I guess that was the only way to control them."

She said she saw fires break out only minutes after the game ended. She and her friends stayed until the scene got ugly, but then became trapped in the crowd and couldn’t get back to their downtown hotel until late at night.

Longtime Vancouver residents voiced their horror at seeing the city in shambles again – bringing back bleak memories of the riots that followed the team’s loss in the Stanley Cup final in 1994.

"I can remember the riot 17 years ago, and I think it shows society that there’s always a group that causes civil unrest," said Peter Wong, who carried a camera on his way to work to capture what he called an "artistic sadness."

"Most citizens are good, but there’s always this underlying element."

– with files from the Vancouver Province and Derek Abma, Postmedia News