I haven’t been a Habs fan for very long. Once, way back when, I wasn’t really a sports fan at all. I might tune in to the odd championship game and cheer for the home team, but I couldn’t name more than a couple of players, if any.
I never saw Rocket Richard play. Or Jean Béliveau. Or Guy Lafleur. And I think I saw Patrick Roy play once, in that Stanley Cup-winning game in 1993. Really, my affection for the team grew out of necessity. As a copy editor, I was assigned to the sports desk at the Gazette, and I would read everything there is about the team. Now I watch all the games and know all the names of the players.
In my short time as a devout fan, I’ve never been ashamed of that fact. Not after missing the playoffs because of a loss to the Leafs. Not during many slumps. Not when fans would sing “na na na na hey hey hey goodbye” during Game 2, or would so overwhelm other teams’ stadiums you’d think they were playing a home game.
Last night was different. Though the news networks and politicians are stressing until their faces turn blue that last night’s riot wasn’t caused by “real Habs fans” (how do they know?), the images shown to the world speak for themselves.
Timeline
9:30pm: Though I’m supposed to be working, a little more than half my attention is on the game while the puck is moving. The Habs are running away with this game, but I want to see its final moments.
10:30pm: The paper is sent off for its first edition, and I pack up to head for home. I figure I’ll take some photos of the crowd celebrating before hopping on the metro.
10:59pm: Though the streets are littered with garbage (most of it flyers from one organization), Habs fans are celebrating, singing, waving their flags.
11:07pm: The hooliganism begins, as fans rush to topple this truck. It doesn’t occur to them that there are other fans on the other side who would get crushed to death if they succeeded. They’re immediately stormed by riot police.
11:14pm: Traffic can’t get through this part of downtown because of the sea of pedestrian traffic, but they don’t mind. They’re here to share in the celebration, using their vehicles in very hazardous ways.
11:21pm: Police use pepper spray for no discernable reason. Many unsuspecting passersby (including this intrepid young blogger) get a solid whiff of the irritating-for-irritating’s-sake stuff. It won’t be the last time I see smoke.
11:23pm: Riot police, who work by literally pushing people around, hustle innocent bystanders along with the unsavoury characters.
11:27pm: The riot cops form a wall from one building to another, so that nobody can go around. On orders from their commander, they’ll beat their batons against their shields and start running forward. It’s one of the scariest things you can see a police officer do in front of you.
11:28pm: Some idiot in a sports car burns rubber, filling Mountain and Ste. Catherine with smoke.
11:30pm: I don’t care how drunk you are. Taking riot cops on by yourself is stupid. No, they won’t suddenly realize your rights have been violated and apologize to you.
11:33pm: This car was unfortunate enough to be parked downtown last night. Now it needs a new windshield, a new door, a new side mirror and a new paint job. And it got off easy.
11:34pm: Seriously? You’re trying to wreck a garbage container?
11:36pm: This guy, clearly a Canadiens fan (but not a “real” one?) is trying to entice the retreating crowd into storming the riot cops. For some reason they’re not jumping at the idea.
11:39pm: Say goodbye to this car. You’re about to witness its destruction.
11:40pm: This guy tried to be the voice of reason, standing in front of the car and telling people not to destroy it. For his troubles he got a projectile to the back of the head. It might have been worse if a cameraman hadn’t hauled him out of there.
11:41pm: Will these two ever be prosecuted for their (should I say “alleged” here?) senseless destruction of property? Probably not.
11:47pm: This guy (carrying a Canadiens flag, but I’m sure he’s not a “real” fan, right?) thought he could set fire to this car with a lighter. He wouldn’t succeed, though later his friends would find a way.
11:49pm: OMG d00d! Property destruction is SOO AWES0ME!!!111 Hi Mom!
11:50pm: Trash cans were a favourite projectile. This one was thrown by this guy:
who was a very angry, very involved member of the auto-destruction team.
11:57pm: These people (who are obviously not “real” Habs fans right?) try to flip the beaten-up car. They wouldn’t succeed (neither would anyone else). The license plate (FAN1005) is ironic considering the situation.
12:03am: A block away, another car has successfully caught fire, and is filling the intersection with black smoke (not to mention the noise of the stuck-on horn). Before firefighters arrive, some idiots decide to take photos of themselves in front of it (the top photo in this post came moments later)
12:23am: The fire put out by firefighters, riot cops arrive and shoo people out of the way. I get a whack to the chest for my troubles.
12:25am: One of the few arrests for vandalism. This guy (The Gazette identified him the next day as Ioannis Mitzas), shouting expletives at police and trying his best to resist arrest, gets fellow idiots to stand up for him and the POLICE BRUTALITY OMG that he’s being subjected to. His friends are promptly pepper-sprayed.
12:31am: Radio-Canada had at least two journalists on the scene. Shockingly, while doing live reports of the antics of drunken sports fans, some of those fans did stupid drunkenly things to get on TV.
12:59am: Guy and Ste. Catherine.
1:06am: A Reebok store with Canadiens merchandise in its display window got those windows broken, showing how much fans care about the team. Here, one guy, wearing a red Canadiens cap he just stole from under a pile of broken glass, goes in for more looting by trying to grab the jersey off a mannequin. He flees when riot police move in.
1:10am: Boston fans look on a torched cop car (one of five I saw that night) with a “so cool” expression. It’s fantastic the lessons we’re imparting on other teams’ fans, not to mention tourists.
1:12am: Sad.
1:15am: One of the few bright spots of the evening. This group picks up a toppled mailbox and puts it back in its place.
1:36am: Police officers, who could be out there solving crimes or protecting our neighbourhoods, are instead forced to act as security guards to prevent looting at a Foot Locker.
An SAQ outlet was among the storefronts with broken windows. Rioters quickly climbed through the broken glass to take bottles for use as weapons. Someone might have enjoyed the wine in this bottle one day, but instead it ends its life in the most senseless way possible, as ballast in a glass projectile.
Analysis
Because this happened late at night, today’s papers focus more on the game than the post-game riot (not to mention all the canned Earth Day stuff, ironic since downtown is littered with trash). The story is leading local and national newscasts (though Brenda Martin is stealing some of that fire now).
Expect the papers tomorrow to be filled with analysis up the rear end about what happened. Should we blame the cops for not doing enough to protect downtown (including their own cars?). Should we blame the media for making rioters famous? Should we blame the fans who stood by and filmed the carnage on their cellphones to post to YouTube, providing a protective human shield so the cops couldn’t move in and make arrests? Should we blame the cop cars themselves for being so flammable, and the store windows for being so breakable?
Of course not. We should blame the looters, and the rioters. They should be found, prosecuted, and forced to pay for the damage they’ve done.
The reaction in the blogosphere has been unanimously negative, but that doesn’t change anything. It still happened, and everyone who did so much as kick a cop car or toss a beer can is responsible.
Saying “these weren’t real Habs fans” doesn’t cut it. It doesn’t make us look civilized. We need to do more than just join a Facebook group denouncing this.
If this is how we react to a conference quarterfinal win, against a team we beat eight times in a row in the regular season, I hope we don’t win the next series. Having self-respect is much more important than winning some stupid hockey tournament.
The Gazette gave this story a complete white wash. I am visiting Florida at the moment. There was a story on CNN this morning showing burning cop cars and riot police a quarter mile from my home.
The story on the Gazette website this morning makes a passing comment about “smiling” riot police shooing away celebrating fans. No mention of police cars burning 3 blocks from the Gazette offices.
These people really know hoe to turn a positive into a negative. We look like idiots in the eyes of the world, lumped together with such enlightened cities as Detroit.
What a bunch of morons we are, Montrealers. We lose a match for the series, we riot; we win a match for the series, we riot.
Seriously, I’m almost hoping the Habs lose this year…
That’s just sad.
Great pictures! I heard about this on the radio last night and avoided by crossing town on Dr. Penfield. Some faces are very clearly visible, i’m anxious to see if there will be any legal action!
Ah. Spring in Montreal.
I miss it.
“we won? FREE STUFF!!”
Awesome post title.
I think it’s seriously embarassing:
(nsfw language warning) http://fourhabsfans.blogspot.com/2008/04/tms-rants-what-fuck-is-wrong-with-you.html
You stay classy Montreal.
If this is how you celebrate beating a #8 seed in the first round of the playoffs I can’t wait to see what happens if you somehow make to the finals.
I hope you hand over copies of the pictures to the cops.
All this because a #1 seed beat a #8, in 7 games … you’ve got to be shitting me. What are they going to do when they’re upset by Mystery Alaska in the next round?
Wow, those photos are excellent! Especially the one in front of Chapters and the one in front of Starbucks with the idiot shooting the fire on his mobile. They show what the riot was really about; a bunch of morally numbed idiots whose only concern in life is to get a good video for Youtube.
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Whats going to happen once we reach the Eastern or the Stanley Cup Finals? Should we be preparing for civil war?
what a bunch of retards.
Rebels without a cause, its sad to see that so much energy is wasted that way
Imagine if we had won in eight or nine games rather than seven!!
This analysis that you give is accurate. Find the rioters and prosecute them!
What shocked me is that about an hour after the peaceful parade had started individuals with bandannas over their faces started showing up. Up until that point police had been smiling and even cheering with fans. Until all of a sudden i was pushed screaming erupted and a stampede of people poored by. The general consensus was that somebody had started kicking a cop car of Cresent and St Catherine.
I did not see any evidence of ‘police brutality.’ Police acted too softly for me standing by and watching as individuals destroyed our police cars. I was shocked to see that only a handful of people who had come prepared with empties and bandannas over their faces were able to convince drunken spectators to partake in the buffoonery.
As police were pelted with beer bottles and rocks by cowards running away after ever throw, things got worse. The police’s plan of pushing back the crowd towards Sherbrooke where many cruisers were parked initially cause no harm, but as the idiots inciting this brouhaha got close to the cars anarchy reigned.
At one point from my vantage point well above Sherbrooke, it seemed riot police were unable to protect our property located just meters away. I left around 1 am, late enough to watch some idiot torch a cop car; not only did it cause 3 explosions and endanger the police, spectators and property surrounding it, but it also scared the hell out of me.
Very, very sad.
11:47 pm guy is a genius. I wonder what would happen if the windshield washer fluid caught on fire?!?! Leaning over an explosive liquid with a lighter just isnt going to lead to anything good.
Yea, times have changed. Drapeau used to announce that the Stanley Cup parade would follow it’s usual route, and the whole city knew how to party it’s arse off without so much as throwing a punch. But such behavior today! Why, prior to 1980 the only times fans ever rioted was when they DID NOT win the Stanly Cup, heh heh.
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http://fiveforsmiting.blogspot.com/2008/04/habs-win-ensuing-victory-riot-will.html
This is a Senators blog I read. Kind of goes to your point about Montreal imparting lessons on fans of other teams. :p
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Please tell me you forwarded every single one of those pics to the police?
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