THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL — The burnt-out shells of at least five Montreal police cars littered the city’s downtown early Tuesday morning after vandals torched and smashed vehicles and damaged businesses to punctuate a first-round NHL playoff victory celebration.
A massive crowd celebrating the Canadiens seventh-game victory Monday over the Boston Bruins filled downtown streets Monday and had started to disperse just before midnight when smaller pockets started the violence. There were no initial reports of injuries.
Jean-Francois Hotte said the incident degenerated quickly as police started chasing people.
"One minute we were all hanging out and celebrating and then all hell broke out," Hotte said.
Hotte said he watched as a Foot Locker store was ransacked by looters. A liquor store was also hit.
"It didn’t take five minutes before everyone was up on Ste-Catherine Street. It went really fast."
While the initial celebration was relatively peaceful, small groups milled around on several street corners even as riot police surrounded burning vehicles to allow firefighters to douse flames.
Television helicopter footage showed one instance where a pair of vandals on a darkened street set ablaze the interior of a damaged, abandoned police car while a third person recorded the act with his cellular telephone. A handful of others stood by watching.
Police spokeswoman Const. Anie Lemieux could not confirm the number of arrests but several men were taken away in handcuffs, including some wearing Canadiens jerseys who pounded a car with cement blocks. Several stores were also damaged.
"Police officers are still on the scene trying to control these people," Lemieux said just after midnight in Montreal.
"Fortunately no one seems to have been injured so far. Police have had things thrown at them, bystanders too."
Lemieux said it would be impossible to tell the extent of the damage until the downtown area calmed down.
Ava Ball was advised by police to keep her car underground as the tension continued to escalate.
"I had to take my car back into the underground because police advised me they’d trash my car," Ball said.
"I had to go back and wait it out to go home," she added, as she debated whether it was safe to leave as the situation appeared to calm down around 1:30 a.m.
Police were on edge as they patrolled in helmets and with batons.
"It’s not how you’d want the night to end," Ball said.
"I think we’re all a bit sad about the result of the evening considering we had such a tremendous win."
Montreal recently had a spate of so-called anarchist violence, including the torching of six police cars in a station parking lot in March.
Earlier in the evening, moments after the Canadiens won the seven-game series, thousands of Montrealers descended on the city’s downtown core to whoop it up and soak in the Canadiens series win over the Boston Bruins.
A large contingent of Montreal police was waiting for the raucous crowd including the police riot squad. The bulk of the crowd was clearing out when the trouble started.
Fans who held vigil outside the Bell Centre earlier on Monday night were jubilant, erupting into cheers for every good play by their heroes inside.
"A great game, well played, total control," said Sebastien Boulet. "I’ve got a really good feeling about this team".
Arjun Aravinthan and hundreds of others broke into a spontaneous "25" chant. The Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups in their history.
"We’re gonna get it this year, this is our year," said Aravinthan, who claims to be a Habs fan since exiting his mother’s womb.
"We believe."
