Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Friday, June 17, 2011

Game over for big crowds, outdoor events in wake of Vancouver riots?

VANCOUVER—Rioting has become so inevitable at mass gatherings of people that it may be time to reconsider even staging events that bring more than 100,000 people onto downtown streets, says Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu.

“That is something that we’ll look at,” Chu said, after Wednesday’s Stanley Cup mayhem saw nearly 100 arrests and nine police officers injured as stores were looted and 15 vehicles set ablaze.

He said that, despite the “best efforts” of police forces elsewhere in the world, including those with vastly more manpower, “riots still occur.”

Chu laid much of the blame on “anarchists and thugs who were bent on destruction,” and had come with “masks, goggles, gasoline and even fire extinguishers to use as weapons.

“When there’s a large number of criminals and anarchists with an intent to break the law, it’s very difficult to stop that.”

And while Chu noted that many bystanders had aided police and stopped would-be looters from entering stores, he also chastised all those stood idly by, often cheering and snapping photos.

It all bore an eerie similarity to the G20 riots in Toronto last summer, when far a more pro-active and aggressive police presence had also failed to prevent a destructive rampage.

As in Toronto, the Vancouver mayhem seemed to take on a life of its own as the contagion spread in unpredictable directions.

The initial spark seems to have come before the Canucks hockey game was even over, when young men at the fan zone on Georgia St. surged forward, hurling bottles at the giant screen.

Full Article
Source: Toronto Star 

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