Patrick Condon, in his response to the riot, articulates something that struck me while watching the unfolding events – but gives it an incisive clarity:
What seems entirely new in this event was the degree to which the public realm was used to perform bizarre acts solely for the purpose of being recorded.
The films from the riot are notable for the number of hands held aloft to film the destruction, outnumbering the actors by the hundreds. One is also struck by the way the perpetrators, all of whom looked more excited than angry, casually accepted being documented by hundreds. All the while performing acts that should land them in jail. There will be zero doubt about who smashed what car and which man threw what piece of timber through what window….
In this way the city streets became a stage for an unrehearsed performance; the thrill not so much from the destruction caused, but from being filmed in the act. And on the other side of the relationship: the filmer. What was in it for them? I doubt that their plan was to study this macabre event later in the privacy of their own home. My guess is that they hoped to capture something horrifying enough to garner more than 10,000 views on YouTube.
All the world really is a stage, and we are all merely players. Or, increasingly, filmers.
In my opinion many of those who were recording were recording purely to share with authorities later, in the hopes that their recordings might be useful. Yeah, I’m sure there’s some of it that was purely for “personal” enjoyment, and definitely more than a few that were getting their photos taken for the “cool” factor but I’d like to think that many people chose to film the perps in action rather than risk a physical confrontation.
As to why folks seemed to commit criminal acts with no fear on camera – well, think of how much has changed since 1994. Those of us who have lived in the city know how few people were actually “caught” back then. I think there’s a feeling of “well, everyone is doing it, I can’t possibly be singled out” which should prove interesting over the next several months as many of them find they aren’t as immune and anonymous as they previously thought.
I would love to know how many people who finally end up being charged are actually citizens of Vancouver itself rather than the surrounding municipalities. I don’t know if that is a statistic that will ever be published, but if it is I think each municipality should pay the corresponding percentage of the policing costs. I have a feeling Vancouver would benefit from that arrangement!