In the wake of the June 15th riots following the Vancouver Canucks’ game seven loss to the Boston Bruins, the response from citizens was overwhelming. There were cleanup efforts, public apologies, and a massive effort involving social media networks to identify rioters and bring them to justice.
Facebook pages such as “Report Canuck RIOT Morons” and “Canucks fans against the 2011 Vancouver Riots,” and websites like www.identifyrioters.com have worked to report the actions of those who participated in the riot.
“Social media helped catch a lot of the criminals red-handed, [with] all the photos and people tagging them,” said Vancouver resident Amanda Sutton, who also stated she was angered by the actions of the rioters and eager to see more of them brought to justice.
However, this social media backlash also has a darker side.
“There were a lot of negative stereotypes being put out about youth after the riots,” said Leah Bae, president of the Vancouver District Students’ Council, describing reasons for a student forum held by her organization in the aftermath of the riots.
People who participated in the riots attended the forum, Bae said, and they were all frightened because threats have been made against their families and friends.
“ . . . We wanted to reverse the stereotype and show people that youth really do care,” said Bae, when asked about the purpose of the forum.
The young people favoured a more restorative approach to justice, which would allow rioters to be “welcomed back” into society, said Bae, who added she was “amazed” at the quality of the discussions at the forum.
Bae said she is eager to see another major public event happen in Vancouver, and believes this will do a lot to promote healing.
“The best thing right now is to improve our city and move forward,” she said.
Not everyone is so forgiving. Blenz Coffee, a popular Vancouver coffee chain, is filing the first civil lawsuit against rioters, after three of its stores were vandalized and employees locked in a room under threat from looters, said the company’s president George Moen.
Moen said he was unsure at first if those responsible could be identified, but that investigation by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) has turned up several names, with more expected. Those who don’t come forward on their own should be punished to the full extent of the law, he said.
The VPD is currently preparing charges against 37 people, and 111 more are under investigation, according to CBC News.
