2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot
Smoke billowing from fires in downtown Vancouver during the riot
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| Time | 7:45 p.m - 12:00 a.m. (PDT) |
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| Date | June 15, 2011 |
| Location | Downtown Vancouver |
| Also known as | Vancouver riots |
| Deaths | ? |
| Non-fatal injuries | 140 (1 critically injured, 3 seriously) |
| Property damage | $5 million CAD (Estimated) ($5.29 million in 2017 dollars) |
The 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot was a public disturbance that broke out in the downtown core of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The riot happened immediately after the conclusion of the Boston Bruins' win over the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, which won the Stanley Cup for Boston. At least 140 people were reported as injured during the incident, 1 critically; at least 4 people were stabbed, 9 police officers were injured, and 101 people were arrested that night. In July 2015, four years after the riot, police finished their investigation and recommended the final charges against two suspects, bringing the total to 887 charges laid against 301 people.
City organizers had set up a two-block long fan zone on six-lane Georgia Street near the Rogers Arena. Two big screen TVs were set up for fans to watch the game. Temporary fences and gates were set up to provide checkpoints where police could control access to the area and check for alcohol (which police generally poured out when found). Following recommendations stemming from the 1994 riot, all liquor stores in the area were closed earlier in the day. Crowds had been generally well-behaved in the fan zone for the previous six games, with roughly 70,000 attending each event. Similar though smaller events had been very successful during the 2010 Winter Olympics. For the final game, an estimated 100,000 people crowded into the area, and people found ways to enter the zone without being checked for alcohol. Planned corridors to allow movement of emergency vehicles became impassable.
Violence frequently occurs in the wake of sporting events in North America and Europe. The 2011 Vancouver riot is consistent with past Stanley Cup riots in Canada. In the previous twenty years, Vancouver itself had riots following the Canucks' defeat in 1994, while Edmonton Oilers fans set fires and looted in the Whyte Avenue ("Blue Mile") area of Edmonton when the team qualified for the 2006 finals, and Montreal was vandalized by Montreal Canadiens fans after both the 1993 title and during the 2008 and 2010 playoffs.
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