By Frank Moher
Overnight, a certain Brock Anton became the face of the Vancouver Stanley Cup riot on the internet. Downtown for the abortive festivities yesterday, Mr. Anton apparently took time out from his busy schedule to post this on his Facebook page:
It reads:
Maced in the face, hit with a Batton, tear gassed twice, 6 broken fingers, blood everywhere, punched a fucken pig in head with riot gear on knocked him to the ground, through the jersey on a burning cop car flipped some cars, burnt some smart cars, burnt some cop cars, I’m on the news….. One word…..
History 🙂 🙂 :))
To which his friend Ashley replied: “brockkkk! take this down!!! its evidence!” To which one poster to a nonewbs.com forum responded, the incident having already gained traction on the web: “Ashley got that right.”
Now the internet being what it is, it’s possible Brock Anton doesn’t exist, or that this is some kind of elaborate prank (especially given that “Brock Anton” sounds like a character on a soap opera). However, an exhaustive backofthebook.ca investigation, which took all of an hour, suggests that Mr. Anton is the real thing, or a real thing.
That’s him on the left, in a cached version of his Facebook listing from a while back, and there he is again during yesterday’s trashfest. We’d recognize those sunglasses anywhere.
It’s also possible that the B-Rock didn’t actually do any of the things he said he did, as perhaps he’s explaining to the Vancouver Police Department right now. Regardless, the internet has decided he’s emblematic of all the morons who acted so disgracefully after the Canucks’ 4-0 loss to the Bruins.
That hockey has its own fair share of mouth-breathers doesn’t come as any surprise, of course. What does is the fact that the City of Vancouver thought it could somehow allow 100,000+ people to assemble in its downtown core for the final game of a fraught seven game series without running into serious problems. Win or lose, that was a bizarrely naive decision. We can assume that some number of those who looted The Bay, London Drugs, and other stores were common criminals who’d planned long ago to take advantage of the post-game chaos, whether Canucks fans were celebrating or, as it turned out, in mourning. And the City obliged by giving them the cover they needed. Just as strange is the fact that the windows of those stores hadn’t been covered with plywood hours before, given the certainty that a human hurricane was on its way. Heck, with that many people throttling Georgia Street, even if The Bay’s big display windows hadn’t had the boots put to them, somebody was likely to get pushed through one.
The mouth-breathers, then, aren’t the only ones responsible for what happened last night. Hopefully the inquiry that has now been announced will identify the moronic behaviour that went on at all levels — on the streets, and at City Hall. Brock Anton isn’t the only one with some explaining to do today.
What’s on my mind? I’ll tell you. Facebook is. Us Facebook users have become quite comfortable to posting our thoughts and feelings on Facebook. Posting has become a part of everyday life for most people. Over the years some people have got themselves into trouble due to an inappropriate post, whether it be with a friend, loved one, co-worker, employer or the law.
In the case of the Vancouver riot, Brock Anton’s post of supposed participation in the rioting has landed him in the spotlight of the event. An internet explosion of blogs and twitters about
Brock grow more popular every day. With negative comments about Brock, Referring to him as a “moron” and “a douche bag”. There has even been a song made on YouTube expressing hatred towards Brock called “the ballad of Brock anton”. People describe themselves as being disgusted with the rioters and truly feel that they should be put in jail.
Well, if fingers are going to be pointed, lets make sure they are pointed in the right direction.
Let me share with you some things that I hate and find disgusting.
With the planet being so beautiful, it is hard to imagine that destruction and violence could ever even happen. When something like a “riot” or “war” happens, we automatically assume it was caused by a rivalry between two or more groups. Without considering other aspects, we focus on the problem instead of how the problem got there in the first place. Wise people understand this but most people do not, and it is formidable because that is how we have been taught to think. Putting band-aids on slashed arteries instead of going for surgery is how this corporate world works. There are many systems that prove this to be evident. I.e. Military wars blamed on terrorism, while actually being fueled by corporate investments in weapons and oil, but we are told its for freedom. Medical systems that abolish and hide natural remedies, leaving only patented synthetic medication to our evermore sick and rising population. Justice systems packed with unjust laws keep prisons being built and overflowing, and everyone else paying fines and tax. big corporate stores sell stuff really cheap so we can “save money and live better” while small businesses are squashed out and slave labor is more than common. we are bombarded with Glorified sports events, movies and media to keep us distracted.
These are just a few of the of the controlling systems we live under and they are designed to keep the world leaders rich and to keep us down. When people live under these abusive systems, we begin to have hatred in us without even knowing where it came from.
So when the riots stared in Vancouver, the loosing of the canucks did not fuel the riot but only sparked built up anger from years of systematic abuse.
This “hate” is in all of us, so whether you hate Brock, the police, or someone else, if we would hate “hate” instead of each other we would not have problems like this.
So to the people that call down on the rioters I say this,
WHEN THE CORPORATE LEADERS WANT TO MAKE A BUCK OFF THE CONTROLLED DESTRUCTIVE DEATH OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, I BET YOU’LL WISH YA HAD THE FUCKEN’ BALLS TO STAND UP TO THEM JUST LIKE BROCK DID AND THEN THROW IT IN THEIR FACEBOOK!!!
Thanks for listening .
Chris Yonge.
Chrisyonge@hotmail.ca
@ GL wrote:
“the angry mob is much more likely to do bad things than the happy one”
Not true. A professor/researcher in the USA wrote a book about his findings on sports rioting, and the vast majority of the time it is WINNING team fans that riot.
Also, as evidenced here, mostly young white men who do it.
u guys didnt do much when it was goin down.half the city participated…u guys need to drop it look at every body else doin so much more than that kid , like u guys were cheering the kid on at one point maybe not u directly, but ur friends and family
The really sad thing is, to think that THIS beat out millions of other sperm
Hey, how many guys are going to pick up the white sunglasses and douchebag t-shirt and go as Brock Anton next Halloween?
How many guys are going to pick up the white sunglasses and douchebag t-shirt and go as Brock Anton next Halloween?
Brock’s next FB status:
Just got poked in the @ss by my cellmate, Butch. Scared to take a shower cuz i dont want to drop the soap. Pissing in my pants that the Mexican Mafia will be shanking me soon. Dont understand why the Crips and Bloods wont let me join, thinking maybe its my sunglasses? And worried that my girlfriend / cousin Claire Fontaine will be lonely without me.
I couldn’t help observing how these (overwhelmingly) males think they are real he-men because they torched cars, knifed people, beat innocent bystanders, and even threatened women. One photo shows a young male threatening to attack, with his skateboard, a middle-aged unarmed woman who was trying to talk him out of smashing windows. He was surrounded by other young males who were supporting him. Wow, now that’s what I call manliness and machismo. Taking out a middle aged woman. If I could, I’d airdrop that turd over the Congo, sans his fancy haircut, clothes, skateboard and cell phone.
This Idiot and the Others should have been drowned at Birth, useless pieces of Shit to Society. Doubt he even knows how to spell Anarchist or is it Thug?
Comparing to the Olympics is not really accurate… Team Canada *won* the gold at the Olympics. If there had been a riot after the Canucks won the Stanley Cup, then that would be a better comparison since in both cases you would have large, happy/ecstatic mobs. However, the Canucks *lost*, and so you have a large, unhappy/angry mob… the angry mob is much more likely to do bad things than the happy one. (Would the mob have rioted if the ‘nucks won, we’ll never know.) In any case, look at what happened in 1994. Look at what happens even when Montreal makes it past one stinking round of the playoffs. Some amount of additional preparation by the city was certainly warranted.
It’s ok, even reasonable, to be hopeful that nothing bad will happen, but to not be prepared is just naive. There’s no problem letting people gather en masse for a viewing party, but the city/police should be prepared to handle the crowd afterwards. For example, by having *sufficient* police, perhaps even in riot gear, already in place so that people leave in an orderly fashion. As soon as anyone starts anything (vandalism, rocking cars, etc.), grab them right away and prevent it from escalating. Most rioters are too chicken to start something themselves, and only get the “courage” once things are out of control and they know/think they can get away with it.
And, yes, the white-rimmed sunglasses are horrible. 🙂
Ah Canadians….
The faces/names and charges of those found guilty should be posted online and in publications. There is no need to house them in jails and incur the costs. If they want their picture taken down ( or not put up at all? then they must have to complete a few hundred hours of community service. That will weed out the ones that are truly sorry and leave a list of the absolute morons.
As a resident of downtown Vancouver … I have to put up with every whoo-hooing, property damaging, drunk yahoo that comes into my neighbourhood for an event. It is my wish that we could put all the identified rioters and looters into one location and collectively give them a piece of our minds. I would say “stone them” but that would be stooping to their mentality (I’d go for some rotten fruit though).
I am just so angry … I want them to feel insignificant and villified.
As a person who lives in downtown Vancouver and has to put up with all the whoo hooing, property damaging, yahoo drunks that come downtown for events …. it is my wish that we could put all the identified rioters and looters into one location and let the people have a chance to collectively tell them what we think. I would love to say stone them, but I would stoop to their mentality (I’d go for rotten fruit though 🙂
I just want them to feel really small and villified … I’m so angry.
There will always be houligans- Canadians are not exempt- and houliganism will be practiced when the opportunity presents itself. Hockey is at least as likely to bring it out as soccer is, and we have the experience of 1994 to draw upon. The key question here is- how can we credibly express surprise- or outrage- when events play out predictably?
Our elected officials and the professional public safety personnel that report to them blew it. There is no more to do but clean up and plan better for next time.
My husband had a great idea… round em all up and send them on a peace keeping mission to afghanistan… wanna see bravado disappear in a hurry, go to places with real issues, your anarchist attitude will disappear in a hurry. What a punch in the face for the nations who truly have something to riot about. Brock bless your heart I hope this brings you to understanding cause I truly do feel for you and what you are going through in this persecution. Go to church, join the canadian military and get some real world perspective young man. To the mother of Brock… buy him food, but that is all make him grow up.
Ashley Pehota: whatever you don’t get caught doing is okay.
The white rimmed sunglasses say it all
I don’t buy this blaming the city for providing cover by allowing the masses to party.
I am from Germany and we do those Viewing parties for many big events, never did they turn into riots or provided cover for thieves. (Besides the standard pickpockets that is)
Enjoy jail Brock.
And I hope your parents enjoy paying for all the damage your caused.
It’s actually too bad the police didn’t plant a six-cent bullet in the back of your head. The world would have been better off.
Watching the news and reading and seeing all the post on line, I am almost in disbelief at the complete stupidity of people. What happened after the game is a few hundred irresponsible people thinking that they could cause destruction and chaos to the city of Vancouver!
Vancouver is a beautiful city. The Olympics proved that this city can handle thousands upon thousands of people from around the world that are true sports fans. There were no riots after the Canadian and USA games. People celebrated and were proud of each of their teams.
Now, the world looks at this city in a different light. The world looks at Canada in a different light. All because of a few idiotic people. Canada and Vancouver shone in the Olympics, the people of this city were thought highly of, and we as a country were proud to be Canadian.
I hope that those few are proud of themselves for the sending the world the message that they sent. I hope they are proud of the fact that they tarnished the city of Vancouver and the people that live there. And I really hope that they are proud of themselves for showing the world that they are NOT true fans of the game of hockey. Because of your acts; people from around this country and the world look at us totally different. Your moment of fame has had put a negative view on the people of this city and on Canada!
Vancouver, true hockey fans, and proud Canadians are definitely not proud of you!
wow, i am ashamed to be a canadian
Well, this confirms your status as the biggest d-bag fans in the NHL, a perfect match with your d-bag hockey team! GO HAWKS!!!
Brock Anton is real, he lives in the same town as myself. Duncan, BC. Some people cearly never change. No remorse for his behavior
LMAO quite possibly the best facebook page ever.
Rioting can carry a life sentence. Under Sections 67-68 of the Criminal Code of Canada, a public official may read what’s colloquially called the “Riot Act” in order to disperse an unruly crowd. People who do not “peaceably disperse” within 30 minutes are “guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for life. The crowd was asked several times to disperse, declared unlawful assembly. There are no innocent victims here. Police were unable to arrest the perpetrators who used the crowd as camouflage. No one who was arrested is innocent. The crowd took pictures, laughed at the goings on, and some in mock shock talked to the reporters about the atrocities. When asked by the police to disperse, these so called good citizens defiantly refused to obey the law, defiantly refused to leave the downtown area giving the hooligans who committed these atrocious, outrageous acts free reign to loot and destroy.
The photo you have above of him at the riot and wearing those stupid glasses is his profile pic now!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190847297630515&view=wall¬if_t=event_wall
Here is a facebook group for the arrest of Brock Ernst Anton who is from Duncan, BC. Come talk to us!
I’m not not a big fan of the police, either, Claire, but these jackasses point to the fact that police are a necessary evil. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em.
Remember, kids, keep the violence on the ice.
It may well have been naive to think that nothing would happen downtown for such a big event. But, to plan otherwise would be to set a standard whereby such behaviour is accepted. But, the fact is, as Gabriel said above, we do have a long way to go.
I think the next steps is to beef up our public transportation with more security teams, and some TURNSTILES! A number of these knuckle-dragging asshats who happened to be coming in from the sprawling, isolated (and deadly dull!) suburbs might have been turned away.
Second, I think we need to find out what it is about this region and its culture that engenders this type of behaviour, where history is not heeded even 17 years on.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=534635696 is brock antons profile
I agree with Jason – neither Claire nor Brock Anton should breed.
If only Darwinism was able to weed these people out of existence… strong words, but from the things these jokers were doing/saying on live television would suggest they never graduated elementary/high school and/or have any semblance of intelligence. Frankly, I’m surprised they haven’t forgotten how to breath or use a fork. What’s more is my curiosity of people posing in front of the news camera holding up a peace sign (really?)…. whilst wearing a shirt with a list of districts in Surrey. (I wonder if you can actually pick up a woman wearing a shirt that says “Whalley, Fleetwood, Newton, Guildford, etc.”? Can someone get back to me on that one?). In any event, Jazzy B is not a very proud man right now.
Bloody troglodytes. I only call them that because their is a 98% chance these losers will have to consult the Merriam-Webster to look up its definition… that and I hope to educate.
To any future scumbags looking to riot in the future at any given location, … take a look behind you and see how many people are recording you and taking pictures. You’ll be the next “Brock Anton” (preferably wearing better sunglasses),… but at the same time I am a little apprehensive to write such a thing as many may wish to aspire to be him.
Quick… someone make a “Brock Anton” app.
Wow Claire until I read your post I thought the rioters were the biggest morons in the country, but now I think riot-groupies like you are probably just a touch more pathetic.
The guy is an idiot. He also can’t spell
Pretty sure I went to school with this guy.
And he was just as big an a-hole back then.
@Claire Are you serious? I find it hard to believe anyone could side with the rioters on this but there you have it. Please don’t reproduce. Our gene pool will be better for it.
If Brock Anton claims innocence, the proof one way or the other should be obvious. Does he have six recently broken fingers, or not? Not 100% proof that he was telling the truth, but probably good enough in court. Elementary, my dear Watson.
Its pretty weak to say “they should have known better” when A. no one was saying that yesterday, and B. nothing happened after the 2010 gold medal game
This guy is a complete moron (I would like to say other things but know I can’t). Really you are proud of what you have done to the city you live in? All of these idiots are a disgrace and I feel bad for the people who have to be embarassed by the disrespectful losers.
The reason why shops weren’t boarded up, why the police were ill-prepared, and why the event was naively allowed to happen in the first place, is because of the the success of the Olympics. Vancouver thought they had grown-up and matured, that they had finally become a “world-class” cosmopolitan city that can handle events of this caliber responsibly and maturely. I think this turn of events proves them wrong. Vancouver, you’ve got a long way to go…
Wow, thanks for the investigative journalism Frank. Perhaps you have a future career as a policy wog for the police? Or maybe you could just do some plain-clothed informant work for them?