Sports riot

Riot that occurs during or after a sporting event

A sports riot is a riot that occurs during or after sporting events. Sports riots occur worldwide.[1][2] Most riots are known to occur after the event is done, but some have been during the game (see football hooliganism). While association football is one of the more well-known triggers for riots, other sports which have triggered riots include ice hockey[3] and motorcycle racing.[1] There are a number of factors believed to influence whether riots occur, including cultural factors; environmental factors such as temperature, darkness, and noise; and witnessing player violence.[1]

## Examples

[edit]

A rioter stands on a car during the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot

The following are various examples of a sports riot:

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (April 2012)

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Riot name  | From  | Until  | Description

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Nika riots[4] | 532 |  | In what is known to be one of the first forms of sports rioting, supporters of the chariot racing teams, the Greens and Blues, revolted against the Byzantine Empire's leader Justinian. At least half of the Empire's capital of Constantinople (now Istanbul) was burned by the rioters, and 30,000 people were killed. Soldiers under the Roman generals Narses and Belisarius trapped the rioters in the Hippodrome and slaughtered them.
1909 Scottish Cup Final | April 17, 1909 |  | After the Scottish Cup ended in a tie, instead of going into extra time, an angry crowd invaded the pitch and tore down the goalposts, as well as attacking the mounted police, resulting in over 100 injuries.
Johnson-Jeffries riots[5] | July 4, 1910 |  | After African-American boxer Jack Johnson defeated the "Great White Hope" James J. Jeffries in the "Fight of the Century", race riots erupted in dozens of U.S. cities.
Richard Riot[6] | March 17, 1955 |  | After the suspension of Montreal Canadiens great Maurice Richard, angry fans wrought havoc in Montreal, and Richard had to make a public appeal to end the riot.
The Roosevelt Raceway Riot | November 8, 1963 |  | In an evening race at the former Roosevelt Raceway racetrack in Westbury, New York, two horses finished following a mid-race crash. The race was declared official, and it angered the 23,127 fans in attendance that night, setting off a riot. The fans were throwing bottles and other debris, and then jumping over the railing, smashing the tote board, followed by them attacking a judges booth. Finally, the fans set fires, as arriving firemen set their hoses on the rioters to push them back. 15 people were treated for injuries. [7]
1964 Lima football riot | May 24, 1964 |  | In the worst riot in association football history, the host Peru was losing to Argentina, and before the game ended, the fans ultimately rioted, and the police fired tear gas into the crowd, as well as padlocking the gates, leading to 318 deaths, with many from asphyxia.
Båstad riots | May 3, 1968 |  | Demonstrators protested the participation of Rhodesia and South Africa in the Davis Cup, which led to intervention from the Swedish Police.
1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia | 1971 |  | In South Africa's tour, anti-apartheid groups protested, resulting in a state of emergency in Queensland, leading to 700 people being arrested.
Ten Cent Beer Night | June 4, 1974 |  | Ten Cent Beer Night was a promotion held by Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians during a game against the Texas Rangers at Cleveland Stadium on Tuesday, June 4, 1974. The idea behind the promotion was to attract more fans to the game by offering 12 U.S. fl oz (354.9 ml) cups of 3.2% beer for just 10 cents each (regular price was 65 cents) with a limit of six per purchase.[8] During the game, fans became heavily intoxicated, culminating in a riot in the ninth inning.
Disco Demolition Night | July 12, 1979 |  | Disco Demolition Night was an ill-fated baseball promotion that took place on July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. At the climax of the event, a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field between games of the twi-night doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Many of those in attendance had come to see the explosion rather than the games and rushed onto the field after the detonation. The playing field was damaged both by the explosion and by the rowdy fans to the point where the White Sox were required to forfeit the second game of the doubleheader to the Tigers.
1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand | 1981 |  | 10 years after the controversial tour of Australia, South Africa began its tour of New Zealand, and like the '71 tour, South Africa became an international pariah due to its apartheid law. Protestors eventually revolted and broke into the country stadiums before and during games, leading to 2 of the games being cancelled.
Detroit 1984 World Series Riot | 1984 |  | After the Detroit Tigers' World Series victory over the San Diego Padres in 1984, riots broke out that killed one person and left 80 injured and eight rapes reported. Millions of dollars in property damage including a burned squad car and taxi. Rocks and glass bottles were reportedly thrown at police who were wearing riot gear.[9]
Aggieville Riots | 1984 | 1986 | In 1984 and 1986, after 2 college football games between rivals Kansas State and Kansas, a group of 6,000 celebrating KSU fans, after a 24–7 victory, crowded into a bar, and eventually became rowdy, and initiated a riot. 2 years later, after KSU once again defeated KU, this time 29–12, another group of 6,000 KSU fans, this time wearing "Riotville" shirts, rioted again, and also torched a Volkswagen Beetle.
19 May incident | May 19, 1985 |  | In Workers Stadium, rioting Chinese fans were silenced by the People's Armed Police.
1986 Montreal Stanley Cup riot[6] | 1986 |  | After the Canadiens won the finals, fans took to the streets to celebrate, and ended up rioting.
1990 Detroit riot | June 15, 1990 |  | Widespread rioting occurred in Detroit after the Detroit Pistons won the 1990 NBA Finals. Eight people were killed.
Chicago Bulls Championship riots | 1991 | 1997 | Rioting and looting occurred in Chicago after the Chicago Bulls won the NBA Finals in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997
1993 Montreal Stanley Cup riot | June 9, 1993 |  | A year before the riot in Vancouver, Montreal experienced a riot shortly after their Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, as victory celebrations mutated into unrest. In the epicenter of the riots, Ste. Catherine St., stores were looted and police cars were set on fire. The riots eventually caused $2.5 million in damage,[10] $4.59 million in 2023 dollars.[11]
1994 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot[12] | June 14, 1994 |  | The National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks lost to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. In what was supposed to be a congregation of 50 to 70 thousand fans led to riot after a man fell into the crowd. Policemen attempted to aid the man on bicycles, which the fans attempted to take, and the police fired tear gas into the fans, initiating the riot.
2000 UEFA Cup Final riots | May 17, 2000 |  | The Wednesday before the UEFA Cup Final, a fan from Copenhagen was stabbed, and eventually, a group of Galatasaray fans confronted and provoked a group of Arsenal fans in a bar, starting a brawl. Later, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[13] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. This caused a severe riot in the city square with several restaurant facilities used by fans to fight each other with iron bars and knives also being used.[14] This lasted about 20 minutes[13] before the police attempted to break up the fight with tear gas.[15] The violence, which reportedly included fans from other Premier League clubs,[16] lasted for 45 minutes.[17] There were further also clashes at the airport the day after the game.[18]
2006 Edmonton Riots[19] | May 12, 2006 |  | Following a playoff victory against the San Jose Sharks, up to 30,000 fans of the Edmonton Oilers flooded onto Whyte Avenue to celebrate, with vandalism breaking out and bonfires being built on the street. 49 arrests were made, 8 of which were riot-related
2006 Basel Hooligan Incident | May 13, 2006 |  | Fans of FC Basel 1893 stormed St. Jakob-Park in the waning minutes of a game against FC Zürich. Zürich eventually scored, and ended Basel's chances of a threepeat Swiss Super League championship. In an attack of Zürich player Iulian Filipescu, who scored the winning goal, a flare was thrown at him, and Filipescu and teammate Alhassance Keita was forced to kick at the fans before police detained the hooligans.
2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict[20] | April 4, 2007 |  | During a game between A.S. Roma and Manchester United F.C., groups of fans started throwing missiles over a barrier that was to separate the fans, prompting Italian riot police to enter the stadium, which eventually sparked a brawl.
2008 Montreal riot[6] | 2008 |  | After the Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, fans began rioting in celebration.
2010 Lakers riot  | June 17, 2010 |  | After the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in game seven of the NBA Finals, fans rioted in celebration.
2010 Montreal riot[6] | 2010 |  | Montreal was stricken with a fifth riot after the Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.
2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot[21] | June 15, 2011 |  | Seventeen years after the 1994 riot, Vancouver was faced with a second riot, after the Canucks lost, also in Game 7, to the Boston Bruins. Unlike in 1994, the fans met at giant screens, where Game 7 was being televised. Shortly before the game's end, fans began throwing bottles at the screen, as well as burning Canuck and Bruin jerseys and flags. The riot eventually escalated when fans began overturning and burning cars. In all, the fans burned 17 cars, as well as a fire truck, and ultimately, 85 rioters were arrested.
2012 European Men's Handball Championship riots[22] | January 24, 2012 | January 25, 2012 | After a match between Croatia and France, Serbian hooligans attacked several Croatian fans, including a notable incident where a group of Croatian fans who were heading home were attacked by 50 masked men with axes, stones and bricks, and a fan was stabbed, with a Croatian van being set alight.
Port Said Stadium riot[23] | February 1, 2012 |  | In Port Said, Egypt, 79 people were killed by Al-Masry Club fans using knives, swords, clubs, stones, bottles, and fireworks as weapons, who were attacking the Al-Ahly S.C. players.
2014 World Series civil unrest  | October 29, 2014 | October 30, 2014 | After the San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 World Series, Giants fans set fires, vandalized buses and police cars, shattered windows of businesses, scrawled graffiti, and threw bottles at police. Two people were shot, one person was stabbed, and a police officer was badly hurt from fireworks exploding. 40 arrests were made.[24][25]
2016 World Series | November 2, 2016 | November 3, 2016 | After the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series, 14 people were arrested for disorderly and reckless conduct.
Super Bowl LII | February 4, 2018 | February 5, 2018 | When the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, fans in Philadelphia reportedly flipped 1 car, tore down traffic lights outside Philadelphia City Hall, and collapsed an awning outside a city hotel. On the same night, 6 fans of the New England Patriots were arrested in Amherst, Massachusetts.[26][27]
UEFA Euro 2020 | July 11, 2021 |  | On the day of the UEFA Euro 2020 final between Italy and England riots broke out at the entrance to Wembley Stadium shortly after kick off, and after the match in Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square. A McDonalds was looted, a Burger King was looted and a Portuguese flag was burnt in Leicester Square. 86 people were arrested by police that day.[28][29][30][31][32][33]
Querétaro–Atlas riot | March 5, 2022 |  | During a match between Querétaro F.C. and Atlas F.C., supporters from both clubs erupted into violence at the second half, causing the match to be suspended.[34][35]
2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game | April 3, 2023 | April 4, 2023 | After the UConn Huskies defeated the San Diego State Aztecs in the 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game, 16 people were hospitalized and 22 people were arrested after a riot broke out on the University of Connecticut campus. Fans flipped cars and started fires, in addition to tearing down light poles and using them as battering rams to break into campus buildings.[36][37]
2024 World Series | October 30, 2024 | October 31, 2024 | Los Angeles experienced unrest after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series in New York on October 30th. Dodgers fans celebrated by taking to the streets of Los Angeles to loot stores, tagged buildings with graffiti, [38] and violently confront police who tried to stop the riot. [39] At around 12:30 AM PT the following day, the Los Angeles Police Department reported that fans setted a MTA bus on fire. [40]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Russell, Gordon W. (2004-07-01). "Sport riots: A social–psychological review". Aggression and Violent Behavior. 9 (4): 353–deutsched Reich 378. doi:10.1016/S1359-1789(03)00031-4. ISSN 1359-1789.
2. ^ Roberts, Julian; Benjamin, Cynthia (2000-06-01). "Spectator Violence in Sports: A North American Perspective". European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research. 8 (2): 163–181. doi:10.1023/A:1008753024786. ISSN 0928-1371. S2CID 140746185.
3. ^ Lang, Kurt; Engel Lang, Gladys (1961). Collective dynamics. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell. OCLC 922139509.
4. ^ "CLIO History Journal - Justinian and the nike riots". Cliojournal.wikispaces.com. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
5. ^ "Race riots in dozen cities follow Johnson fight victory". upi.com. United Press International. July 5, 1910. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
6. ^ a b c d "Cops gas hundreds of Montreal youths hours after Habs fans celebrate win - ESPN". ESPN. 2010-05-13. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
7. ^ Tuite, James (November 9, 1963). "Fans Riot at L.I. Raceway, Battle Police and Set Fires". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
8. ^ Lebovitz, Hal. "10,000 six packs?" The Plain Dealer June 9, 1974: 2C
9. ^ "Detroit fans have history of combustible behavior, Mike Klingaman, The Baltimore Sun". The Baltimore Sun. 2004-11-25. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
10. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: HOCKEY; Cup Riot Bill is $2.5 million". The New York Times. July 4, 1993. p. 8.8.
11. ^ 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021. and table 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
12. ^ "There Is No Joy In Vancouver". The New York Times. 1994-06-15.
13. ^ a b Vivek Chaudhary (2000-05-19). "Surprise attack by Arsenal fans seeking revenge sparked battle". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
14. ^ "Will hooligans ruin Euro 2000?". BBC News. 2000-06-06.
15. ^ "Three more stabbed in Copenhagen". BBC News. 2000-05-18. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
16. ^ "Violence not over, fans warn". BBC Online. 18 May 2000. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
17. ^ "Charleroi lobby yet to learn lessons of Heysel". The Guardian. London. 2000-05-26. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
18. ^ Vivek Chaudhary and Jamie Wilson (2000-05-19). "Turkish and English fans clash at airport". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
19. ^ "Lawyer sues Edmonton Police for Taser attack at Whyte Avenue riots during the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs". Edmonton Sun. October 31, 2013. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
20. ^ "Fans clash with police at Man Utd". BBC News. 2007-04-11. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
21. ^ "From bad to brutal: Timeline of a riot | British Columbia". Ctvbc.ctv.ca. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
22. ^ "Serbia apologizes to Croatia for attack on fans at European handball championship". St. Albert Gazette. The Associated Press. January 25, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
23. ^ "Egypt football pitch invasion leaves dozens dead". The Guardian. London. 2012-02-01.
24. ^ S.F. picks up the pieces after raucous Giants revelry, San Francisco Chronicle, October 30, 2014.
25. ^ San Francisco Giants fans take to streets after World Series win, Reuters, October 30, 2014.
26. ^ 'Horrific scenes' and 'rioting': How national, worldwide media portrayed Eagles fans' post-Super Bowl celebrations, The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 6, 2018.
27. ^ UMass Amherst Rioted after the Super Bowl, Again, Boston (magazine), February 5, 2018.
28. ^ Law, Matt (13 July 2021). "Wembley disorder makes Spain and Portugal favourites to host 2030 World Cup". The Telegraph - via Yahoo! Sports.
29. ^ McGuinness, Ross (12 July 2021). "'They're thugs': Dozens arrested and 19 officers injured as football fans run riot before final". Yahoo! News.
30. ^ McGuinness, Ross (13 July 2021). "Wembley steward 'had pockets stuffed with cash bribes' as thugs gatecrashed Euro 2020 final". Yahoo! News.
31. ^ "UEFA EURO 2020 match schedule confirmed". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-12.
32. ^ "Crowd trouble at Wembley: Fans storm gates before Euros final | News | The Times". The Times. July 11, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-11.
33. ^ Kostka, Andy (11 July 2021). "Fans riot outside Wembley Stadium ahead of European Championship". The Washington Times.
34. ^ Lopez, Oscar (6 March 2022). "Mexico Soccer Riot Leaves 22 Injured, Officials Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
35. ^ Baer, Jack (6 March 2022). "Mexican soccer league suspends all Sunday matches after fan riot". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
36. ^ Eaton-Robb, Pat (June 27, 2023). "UConn returns home to celebrations, vandalism on campus". AP News. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
37. ^ Yankowski, Peter (June 27, 2023). "UConn: NCAA riots caused at least $123K in damage at Storrs campus, school seeks restitution". CT Insider. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
38. ^ Cádiz Klemack, John; Lloyd, Jonathan (October 31, 2024). "Shoe store looted, bus vandalized in downtown LA World Series celebration". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
39. ^ Shalvey, Kevin (October 30, 2024). "Officers clash with 'hostile' baseball fans in Los Angeles after Dodgers win World Series, police say". ABC News. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
40. ^ Rand, Jory; Powell, Amy; Fisher, Michelle (October 31, 2024). "Fireworks, street takeovers pop up across Los Angeles after Dodgers win World Series". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved November 2, 2024.

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