Montreal Hockey Riot 2010
What began as an eardrum-rattling eruption of hockey joy ended in an eye-burning cloud of tear gas as looters and police squared off on streets that had just celebrated a memorable Montreal Canadiens win.
And a city with a history of hockey greatness, as well as hockey-related violence, wrote two chapters on the same night.
A playoff win over the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins, heralded as among the most stunning in the Habs' 100-year history, sent tens of thousands of jubilant fans spilling into the downtown core Wednesday night in an ocean of red, white and blue.
Hours later the alcohol-fuelled remnants of that crowd began taunting Montreal police, tossing bottles at them and their horses. Then some covered their faces, smashed store windows and started looting.
Police regained control of the downtown early Thursday by charging into the mob, discharging tear gas and jabbing their batons into the ribs of any stragglers. At least 25 people were arrested. Two officers suffered minor injuries.
The vandalism occurred after the Ste-Catherine Street area had already mostly emptied out, following a family-friendly scene where a little girl hoisted a makeshift Stanley Cup from atop her father's shoulders to the cheers of onlookers.
By around midnight, store windows were being smashed.
Looters concealed their faces -- in some cases with the garments they'd already stolen, not bothering to pluck away the price tags fluttering from their faces.
With their identities hidden they leaped through the broken storefront windows and emerged moments later with their arms full.
One man warned his lady friend, as they dashed away from a liquor store, to be careful with the loot.
"Hide the bottle," he snapped.
"The police."
He was referring to the line of officers who watched impassively from the closest street corner. They were waiting for the reinforcements on the way.
Suddenly, rows of black-clad riot cops charged in from the peripheries, rattling their shields as a warning to the crowd.
They began blasting tear-gas canisters into the mob. As people coughed and scurried away, the police followed; the slowpokes in the crowd were slammed repeatedly to prod them along. It made no difference whether they were looters or happy hockey fans in the wrong place. If they were there, they got hit often.
One man complained he'd had a tooth broken. Stragglers who paused and tried peacefully explaining why they needed to be there received the same reaction: a few swift, painful jabs in the torso.
Source: Sportsnet.ca
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