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Canadian Press reports that Montreal police admitted Wednesday (October 15) they were caught off guard by the violence that erupted after the cancellation of a punk rock concert.
Police said 42 cars were damaged, including eight that went up in flames, after the crowd was told the bands wouldn't be performing because of immigration problems.
Three police cruisers and 11 stores were also vandalized in Tuesday night's riot, police said at a news conference. Three police officers and two security agents received minor injuries.
Seven people were arrested: one woman for armed assault, and five adults and one minor for mischief and disturbing the peace.
"The event surprised us, by its magnitude and the speed with which it happened," said Insp. Yves Surprenant.
"But you've got to understand we don't have people at every street corner in Montreal. They're spread all over the city and it takes time to get them all in one specific area and ready for action.
"We're not going to send in five officers to deal with several hundred people."
Several eyewitnesses complained about how long it took for police to arrive on scene.
A frightened Philippe Yeung, who lives above a copy shop next to the concert hall, said he called police five or six times before they arrived after more than a half hour.
"When the police came, the cars were already on fire, they were already overturned and (the rioters) were moving up the street," he said, noting that the windows to his store weren't insured.
Tearful student Sabrina Simard, inspecting the burned-out shell of her car, agreed with Yeung.
"I thought the policemen didn't arrive early enough," she said.
Once riot police with helmets and shields arrived, they cordoned off several blocks as the young people fled, smashing store windows along the way.
Paul Matte, co-owner of the Medley, where the show was to have taken place, said Wednesday the club learned from Immigration Canada at about 7:15 p.m. the bands ? THE EXPLOITED and TOTAL CHAOS ? wouldn't make it.
"About 15 or 20 minutes later, we got in touch with the police and said the show had to be cancelled," Matte said.
"It took about 10 minutes to send us one patrol car. They saw what was going on, the number of people, so they asked for five more cars. That's when we agreed together to tell people the show was off."
Matte blamed the show's promoter, saying the promoter told him THE EXPLOITED, who were the headliners, had cleared customs and were on their way.
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ooooooh...
Stupid people trying to live the punk mentality.
I've always wondered about this crap that happens.
People just looking for any excuse to destroy.
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UPDATE
Graeme Hamilton of National Post reports that the leader of a punk rock group whose fans rioted Tuesday night (October 14) after their concert was cancelled blamed Immigration Canada yesterday for the destruction, saying authorities had no business checking band members for criminal records.
Hours before they were supposed to take the stage at a Montreal nightclub, members of TOTAL CHAOS and THE EXPLOITED were denied entry at the Canadian border crossing in Lacolle, Que. Robert Gervais, an Immigration Canada spokesman, said they were refused because three members had records for "serious criminality" and four others provided false information to Immigration officers.
Rob Chaos, lead singer and a founding member of the 13-year-old California band TOTAL CHAOS, said he suspects the bands were targeted because of their appearance. "We have blue hair and Mohawks and stuff," he said by cellular phone as his band traveled to their next show in Cleveland.
"I'm totally pissed off about it," Mr. Chaos said. "I told the [Immigration officer] there were a whole lot of kids coming to see us. Canadian government Immigration is, in my opinion, responsible for the riots."
The singer called the Canadian border the strictest in the world and said his drummer felt discriminated against when Immigration Canada dug up his 15-year-old criminal record. Mr. Chaos said the offence was "kind of major," but noted it was committed when the drummer was 18.
"I don't think a country should have the right to pry into people's pasts. There should be a law against that," he said. He noted that the singer of British band THE EXPLOITED has "tons of things he's done," but he never has trouble entering the United States.
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a little more
Anne Sutherland of The Montreal Gazette reports that a criminal record can give you street cred in the punk-music business, but it's also enough to get you turned back at the border.
That's what happened when customs officials refused entry to seven members of two punk groups expected to play the Medley Tuesday night.
"Two vehicles carrying 11 people arrived at the Lacolle border crossing at 7 p.m. Tuesday," Robert Gervais of Citizenship and Immigration Canada said.
"Customs officers referred these individuals to immigration services, and in the course of interviews (it was discovered that) three of the people had serious criminal files and four others gave false information. Seven of the 11 were refused entry, and the other four decided to return to the U.S. as well."
He defined "serious criminal files" as acts that would be punishable with jail terms of 10 years or more had the crimes been committed in Canada.
The two bands ? Britain's THE EXPLOITED and California's TOTAL CHAOS ? were en route to Montreal from a gig in Providence, R.I. "We started to be worried about where the band was at 5 o'clock (Tuesday)," Medley owner Paul Matte said. "We got definitive confirmation from Immigration Canada at 7:15 p.m. They said the bands wouldn't be able to cross the border.
"(Immigration Canada) was not allowed to tell us why, but they told us it was a good enough reason to not let them in, even if we told them it was not a good idea for us to cancel the show."
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"I'm totally pissed off about it," Mr. Chaos said.
My favorite line from that....Mr. Chaos HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA
okay sorry I had to let that out...
Yeah I just got back (was gone all week) and Shawn emailed me that story. I think it's almost comical....Oh well....Those damned punk rockers and their crazy antics.....
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When I went to Canada, I did it throught that Lacolle route, and when the guard asked us for our passports, we started kidding about we had dead bodies in our car and lots of guns in it, but as we were talking in Spanish he let us get inside the country [img]wink.gif[/img] ...
U only must see that law about not smiling in the passport pic, that Canada has right now.
