Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Gold/Mining/Energy : Golden Eagle Int. (MYNG) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jimthebody who wrote (29777)	11/9/2002 9:12:59 PM
From: Jim Bishop	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 34075

Police review videotapes to track GM Place rioters Guns N' Roses fans rampage in Vancouver after show cancelled Southam Newspapers Saturday, November 09, 2002 Arlen Redekop, Southam Newspapers Fans use barricades to smash windows at GM Place in Vancouver after the last-minute cancellation of a rock concert by Guns N' Roses. Police riot squads and dog teams were called out and 12 people were arrested Thursday night. Police expect additional charges will be laid. Axl Rose, lead singer of Guns N' Roses, failed to appear for a Vancouver show. A spokesman said the rock star was stranded in Los Angeles. VANCOUVER -- Vancouver police say 12 people have been arrested for breach of the peace and two of them face criminal charges in connection with Thursday's riot outside the cancelled Guns N' Roses concert at General Motors Place. The numbers are expected to rise as police investigate the riot that resulted in an estimated $100,000 in damages to the arena. "We will be actively looking for the ones that caused the violence," said police spokeswoman Const. Sarah Bloor. She also said police will apply for warrants to seize media footage of the riot. "None (of the 12 people arrested at the scene) were drunk," Bloor said. "We simply had people who conducted themselves in a violent way." One has been charged with mischief, another faces break and enter charges. Deputy Chief Constable Gary Greer vowed to go after the rioters. "We find it reprehensible, the actions of people in that crowd who, in response to a cancellation of a concert that was beyond the control of the organizers, thought that they had the right to then riot and damage ... a public building. It's just beyond belief that people would do that." Greer said the officer in charge at the scene told him the riot erupted suddenly. "At 7:35 it went from a crowd milling about (to) at 7:36 it was a full-blown riot." Bloor said steel barricades and concrete garbage containers and planters were used to smash the glass doors at GM Place, and pieces of broken concrete were thrown at police. "Some of (the concrete pieces) were dropped from the second level down to our members and I can tell you that had this struck one of our members on the head they'd be dead. So our members, in many cases, were facing lethal force used against them." Some officers received cuts and bruises, Greer said, but none were seriously hurt. "I'm not aware of any of the crowd being hurt in the sense that we had to take anybody to hospital," he said. All 120 Vancouver police officers on duty Thursday night were eventually sent to GM Place, while West Vancouver and Burnaby sent officers into the city to maintain regular police service, Bloor said. Transit police also helped clear the area by ensuring all SkyTrain cars were full. Greer said the damage was confined to the area around GM Place. "We did have real concerns that they were going to go down Robson Street, but fortunately it seemed as crowds left the area, their enthusiasm or anger dissipated," he said. Greer said 8,000 people were expected to attend the concert, which meant that eight officers would have been sufficient for crowd control. "But once we determined that it was unlikely that the concert was going to go ahead, we did start to lay in plans to draw in more personnel to the scene." He said officers were kept a few blocks away. "We weren't wanting to cause anything at the time by having a lot of police show up." Greer praised GM Place staff and officials for their assistance. "The decision to keep the crowd outside now probably looks brilliant, because if that crowd had been inside GM Place, probably there wouldn't be any hockey played there for quite a while because they'd have had to repair it." Greer said the decision to cancel the concert was held up until after 7 p.m. "My understanding is that the organizers still believed that there was an opportunity for the performer to get on a plane and arrive here in time to actually perform and so they held out that hope right until some time after seven o'clock." A band spokesman cited bad weather in Los Angeles as the reason lead singer Axl Rose never made it to Vancouver to join his band, which was here and rehearsed without him. Jim and Stacy Stelmacher of Port Alberni went to Vancouver to meet with Ryan Stookert and Angie Beers, who flew in from Calgary just for the show that was supposed to be a birthday surprise for Stookert, a DJ at CJAY radio. "What a great present, but I guess I just was never meant to see this band," Stookert said. Cancellation of the concert is the latest in a long history of venue problems involving the heavy metal band. In fact, cancellations and riots have become as synonymous with Guns N' Roses as its three-chord songs. Earlier this year the band cancelled two tours of Europe. In August, 1992, fans rioted at Montreal's Olympic Stadium when Metallica cut short its concert because of an on-stage injury to singer-guitarist James Hetfield, then Guns N' Roses shortened its set when Rose's voice gave out after 15 minutes on stage. The crowd set fire to cars, broke windows and looted a store. Four months later, 10 people were injured at a Guns N' Roses concert in Santiago, Chile. UBC psychology professor Wolfgang Linden said anonymity is a key factor in such circumstances. "With the believed promise that you won't get caught, it's a hell of a lot easier to throw away your inhibitions," said Linden. Greer said police have assigned a senior inspector to review the incident, as well as the department's planning and response. He will make recommendations if he finds deficiencies, and will oversee the investigation. "I can tell you now that we will be taking all the videotape that we can possibly acquire, and we will be doing a thorough investigation to identify those people who were involved in the destruction." © Copyright 2002 Times Colonist (Victoria)