Montreal police believe that their swift intervention after the Canadian victory made it possible to avoid the worst Thursday evening around the Bell Center, much to the relief of traders in the area.
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“Once the match ended, some crossed the line. Someone got into a car [de police]Others followed and encouraged him. The multiplier effect is most severe in large crowds,” says David Sheen, a spokesperson for the Montreal Police Department.
When the Canadian scored the winning goal that led him to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993, revelers took home the street furniture, including the orange cones.
QMI photo, Thierry LaForce
The thugs fired steam on the patrol car.
The projectiles were thrown in the direction of the officers. Eight police vehicles were damaged, including one that overturned.
“It became dangerous for citizens and customers, so we quickly intervened to disperse the people,” the inspector explained.
This is what allowed police forces to bring calm to the city centre, said Mr. Shen, explaining that the floods were short-lived.
In all, the General Secretariat of the Special Security Forces issued 60 statements of crime and arrested 15 people on charges of assault and armed assault on a police officer and obstruction of police work.
He asserts that “the vast majority of citizens celebrated peacefully and behaved well.”
The worst-case scenario was thus avoided. At about 2 a.m., the city center regained calm.
QMI’s photo by Mario Beauregard
Fireworks at home were plentiful after the match.
The remnants of the party had disappeared, yesterday morning, around the center of the bell, as well as pieces of glass still lying on the sidewalks. Shop windows on the adjacent streets were intact.
“None of our downtown dealers have been hit by the floods. We are very proud of that,” Inspector Shen notes.
However, Santana Enrique, the supervisor at Sports Crescent, on St. Catherine Street, has taken some precautions.
When it closed at 8 pm مساء [jeudi]I turned off the lights and took off the jackets from the storefront.”
He won’t be risking the Canadians’ next big games. He plans to put a newspaper and a “For Rent” sign on the storefront to discourage thugs from coming to attack his company.
SPVM is also already planning its interventions during upcoming games.
“We anticipate all the unimaginable scenarios. Officers plan the numbers, the way the operations will be carried out. They use good moves and lessons learned,” said David Sheen, who only asked to see the Canadians win the Stanley Cup, in a festive atmosphere, but without the mess. .
– With Guillaume Seer, QMI