Even as the remains of vehicles still smoldered in downtown Vancouver after Thursday's hockey hooligan riots, many Vancouverites vowed to set things right. Here's one way they did it: Covering a police cruiser in scores of thank-you post-its.
Just as the riots had reportedly been planned well in advance of the final game between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins, the forces of civic responsibility organized quickly in response by the only method available today — Facebook. While one group organized volunteers to help pick up debris in downtown Vancouver, another turned to identifying people who had taken part in the store-smashing and bonfire-building.
But the tributes on a police Ford Crown Victoria parked Thursday afternoon and into this morning were spontaneous, as were dozens of similar signs of apology from residents. While the chief of Vancouver police has come under fire for not being prepared for the riots, the police themselves were fairly restrained; of the 100 or so people injured, all appeared to be from actions by the crowd, not police.
The first charges from the riots are expected to be filed today, against a rioter who turned himself in. The property damage from the destruction will take months to tally and will doubtless run to the millions of dollars. Vancouver's self-image appears far more resilient. To see more of the notes, click here.