Photo by Jason Hargrove, Flickr

This year’s Stanley Cup final lead to an event that many claim isn’t representative of Vancouver.  Smashed windows, burned cars and looted stores are now part of what’s known as the 2011 Riot.  Youtube is ripe with videos.

Some Vancouverites may have found themselves in an unknown land, confused by the unexpected end of what appeared to be a season of celebration and joy. Many explanations have emerged since the incident; hockey hooliganism, an angry youth, mob mentality, alcohol, or a combination of these possibilities.

Jorge Rivera, a Colombian-Canadian student at UBC, was shocked and ashamed by what happened in Vancouver. Coming from a violent country that constantly faces social and economic crises, Jorge doesn’t understand how some people from this community reacted in such a way.

“It’s pathetic to see that people used the game as an excuse to riot and steal things; knowing that in other countries people do it because they want to change the unjust systems in which they live.”

Rivera mentions that many countries constantly confront this kind of social upheaval; for instance, the riots in Athens during the 2004 Olympics. But it’s for a purpose; a crisis of some kind. Usually it’s a crisis that explodes when the unsatisfied population has had enough with their political leaders and the economic system.

Indeed, there are several cases that exemplify this social phenomenon, especially in developing countries where one of the most efficient ways to participate in the political realm is through violence. But, in Vancouver the situation was different.

“Some people were ready for the Canucks to lose, so they could riot,” says Rivera, “there was no real reason behind it. In countries like Colombia people [see] inequality and injustice…violence seems to be the only way to get attention from the media.”

Amanda Rodriguez, an international student from Mexico, was trapped in the chaos. She told The Source that it was barbaric and senseless to see her city torn apart.

“Though I was not born in Vancouver, I have been living here for more than three years; and I feel this city as mine.”

Amanda was about to have  dinner at a restaurant after the end of the game, but found herself and her friends trapped in the mob. Her friend told her to run and she saw everyone running towards her.

“It was tear gas! Everyone was running away from it. I’ve never experienced that before, it was horrible.”

The next day she could not believe it. She walked through downtown and saw the coffee shops, stores and restaurants destroyed.

“It is really sad. I wanted to cry. Vancouver is such a beautiful city, and it was all gone.”

According to a police officer  who agreed to speak with The Source if we didn’t use his name, few people were well prepared to instigate riots and destroy parts of the downtown area. He says that it’s true that emotions and alcohol played a trick on many people who would have never acted in such a way. However, there were others who wanted to cause chaos even if the Canucks would have won.

He mentioned that there was a small group of instigators with clear intentions to destroy peace and order during the Stanley Cup finals. In the same way, he made it clear that, “they are not representative of our city.”

“Few people were ready with masks, bats and gasoline in their backpacks. These people are against everything; they are anti-social, anti-police, anti-peace; they just want to disrupt the city and cause disorder.”