![]() They estimated 500 people were involved in the bottle-tossing and unruly behaviour, while a smaller number smashed their way into three stores: a Foot Locker, a liquor store and a trendy clothing boutique.Īuthorities say 41 people were arrested and will face charges including break and enter, mischief, assault, armed assault against police officers, and armed robbery. Police suggested a tiny fraction - just one per cent - of the estimated 50,000-strong throng that had crammed the street were responsible for the previous night's trouble. Jerseys and T-shirts were flying off the shelves of his store Thursday.Īs for the broken bottles and other debris swept up off the street in front of the shop? It was gone before 9:30 a.m. Not only is Nury a fan, but the Habs are also good for business. He imagined the scenario after arriving to work Thursday to sweep debris from his storefront on Ste-Catherine Street, near the spot where three shops were looted the night before.īut for all the headlines about hooliganism, this shopkeeper was like just about everyone else in Montreal: hoping that Les Glorieux would extend their improbable playoff run and go all the way. Nour Nury wondered, "What if we win the Stanley Cup?" They said none of the people they arrested in 2008 had tickets to the game on them.MONTREAL - A downtown Montreal shopkeeper had a sobering thought the morning after celebrations of a shocking hockey victory resulted in looting and dozens of arrests. Police said hockey fans don't deserve the blame for any of the looting or vandalism after major Habs wins in recent years. ![]() Police say three types of people are usually swept up in the rowdiness - fans who want to celebrate, people who are drawn to the area of the celebration and get drunk, and thieves who want to profit from any vandalism. There were also riots after Stanley Cup wins in 19. Montreal has a history of hockey-related violence.Ĭars were burned and downtown stores were trashed and looted after the Canadiens beat the Bruins in 2008 to advance to the next round of that season's playoffs. ET.ĭenis Desroches, the deputy police chief, said earlier that a lot of police officers would be on hand to ensure a safe environment. ![]() Ste-Catherine Street was once again closed to traffic between Guy and University streets as of 7 p.m. Many came from the Bell Centre, where 20,000 tickets to watch the game on giant screens had sold out within minutes. Fans cheered the Canadiens' reaching the conference final for the first time since their 1993 Stanley Cup ride.Įven though the team was playing on the road, police had earlier appealed to fans to be on their best behaviour in Montreal. This athletic goods store was among the Montreal shops vandalized and looted following the Montreal Canadiens' win over the Penguins on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. The violence happened hours after thousands of people poured into the streets celebrate the Canadiens' 5-2 win over the Penguins in Pittsburgh, capturing their best-of-seven NHL playoff series in seven games. "When you’re looking at a group of people marching two by two, this is not a coincidence." It’s not them, it’s a small group of organized people," he said. "A lot of Canadiens fans came forward and they were not happy about what was going on. Police spokesman Ian Lafrenière said most of the arrests were for breaking into two businesses. Police on horseback were also assigned to monitor downtown. Police officers wearing protective gear were stationed at every intersection. Some had donned hoods and masks to conceal their identities. Some tossed clothes from the store onto the street and the items were quickly scooped up by those in the vicinity. The RDI television network showed youths breaking into and looting a number of shops, including a Foot Locker store. Thousands of people poured into the streets Wednesday night to celebrate the win, and most people were peaceful, a police spokesman said.īut police fired tear gas and pepper spray as they marched down Ste-Catherine Street to break up the crowd as some people were throwing bottles at officers and storefronts. At least 30 people were arrested. ![]() Riot police in Montreal moved in to quell rowdy mobs that began smashing windows and looting stores following the celebration of the Canadiens' playoff win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Habs fans celebrate in downtown Montreal following the Canadiens' playoff defeat of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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