OFFICIAL STATEMENT

RIOTS IN VANCOUVER

Vancouver, BC – Thursday, June 16, 2011

The  Downtown Vancouver Association  is shocked and dismayed that a small segment of hooligans took it upon themselves to conduct such a violent rampage in the city last night. This small group of thugs is not reflective of the vast majority of Vancouverites who were peacefully gathered to watch the Stanley Cup hockey game. These despicable people should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and forced to pay to cover the damage they caused. We wish to thank the officers of the Vancouver Police Department who were out in the field last night for their efforts and ability to remain calm in this extremely volatile situation. We also wish to thank Mayor Robertson for his leadership and for his promise to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

It is tragic to see so many shopkeepers suffer this senseless violence, looting and theft of their goods – much of which cannot be quickly replaced. In many cases, their losses will go beyond any insurance coverage. Downtown Vancouver is also the home to approximately 100,000 residents, including families, whose safety was compromised last night as their own backyard was overtaken by looting, fighting and vandalism.

Last night’s events bring up many questions about how our downtown public gatherings should be handled in the future. We suggest an inquiry should be commissioned both to review the events of last night and to establish a protocol for planning and managing future public gatherings in our downtown area. The Downtown Vancouver Association looks forward to being part of that dialogue.

To assist the police in developing evidence for the crimes committed by the thugs of last night, we appeal to anyone who took photos or video to forward your shots or footage to robbery@vpd.ca. The City is asking anyone with questions or concerns about property damage to call 311.

Vancouverites are known around the world as positive and friendly people. We must take steps to preserve our wonderful reputation – and to ensure that the terrible event we experienced last night never happens again.

The Downtown Vancouver Association

www.thedva.com