Background

On June 15th, 2011, a street riot erupted in the heart of Vancouver's downtown immediately after the last game of the Stanley Cups Finals, resulting in Boston Bruins' victory over the Vanoucver Canucks. The disturbance began at 7:45pm and came to an end by midnight, during which nearly 100 people were arrested, at least 140 people and nine police officers were reported as injured and four to five million Canadian dollars worth of damages incurred. (See also Angry Vancouver Fan, and Vancouver Riot Kiss)

Developments

• As the street riots intensified, many eyewitnesses took photographs of the chaotic scenes as well as the faces of demonstrators. While the city's riot police was quickly mobilized to pacify the angry crowds, more than 1 million photos and 1000 hours of video clips recorded by citizens played a critical role in assisting the arrest of violent demonstrators.

• During the riot, many eyewitnesses with smartphones posted their pictures online and soo enough, an interactive Flickr map identifying the clusters and specific locations of riot crowds as they were happening.

• Some vigilante-minded people launched a Facebook page titled "Vancouver Riot Pics – Post Your Pics," which apparently struck a chord with thousands of other Vancouverites who posted their mobile pictures and videos of the riot scenes. A young Vancouver man also quickly set up a Tumblr blog called "Vancouver 2011 Riot Criminal List", which serves the same purpose.

• These photographs were actually used by the police department to issue arrests. The Canadian news media reported that social media activities surrounding the riot demonstrated an unprecedented level of community participation in assisting police investigations. Others started online shaming campaigns against some of the rioters whose faces were identified through the photographs.

• Following the night of riot, thousands of volunteers and congregated on social networking sites like Facebook to coordinate clean up efforts, drawing over 14,000 RSVP'd volunteers.

External References

BodyBuilding Forum – ITT Vancouver Riot Memes

Facebook – Vancouver Riot Pics – Post Your Photos

Straight – Social media expert concerned Vancouver riot could set precedent for Internet surveillance

Pattaya Daily News – Stunning Sights from the Vancouver Riot

Global TV Edmonton – Vancouver Riot Map: photos of riot and looting locations

TomsGuide – Cell Phones Aid in Arrests of Vancouver Rioters

Flickr – Interactive Map of Vancouver Riots