A coffee company has filed a lawsuit against the rioters involved in the Stanley Cup riot who smashed its windows, damaged equipment and stole merchandise during the mayhem that gripped downtown Vancouver following Game 7.
The lawsuit, which was filed in BC Supreme Court by Blenz Coffee Ltd. president George Moen Thursday, alleges that some 150 people terrorized its employees and tore apart three of its downtown Vancouver coffee shops.
Blenz says it has suffered lost profits, revenue, staff time and opportunities, not to mention the value of the physical items damaged, looted or stolen.
The company is seeking punitive damages as well as the value of destroyed items at 495 Georgia, 1177 West Hastings and 999 Granville St. The defendants in the case are listed as John Does 1 through 75 and Jane Does 1 through 75.
Moen said that two staff members and a customer were trapped in a back room and terrorized for two hours while rioters destroyed a franchise.
"Luckily, none of our customers, staff or franchisees were physically harmed, but the psychological trauma to them has been devastating," said Moen. "We can repair our stores, but people's lives and businesses have been irreparably harmed."
The location on West Georgia remains closed, while the two others have been repaired and reopened.
Blenz says it has already identified "dozens and dozens" of rioters through video surveillance. Moen wants those involved to come forward on their own and take responsibility for their actions.
"You know who you are. There's nowhere to hide in this digital world. There's video, multiple angle shots, high definition. There isn't any doubt of the culpability," he said.
Moen is the first business to file a lawsuit in court, but he may not be the last.
The Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association says as many as 60 businesses suffered upwards of $5 million in damage after a roving pack of troublemakers smashed store windows and made off with merchandise ranging from tuxedo jackets to big-screen TVs and high-end SLR cameras.
Lawyer Eleni Kassaris says other business owners may shy away from taking legal action because of many reasons, including having to take the lead on an expensive court battle.
"They might be happy to leave it in the hands of the police or they might have families to support and might not have the time or resources to advance those claims," she told CTV News.
Kassaris says others may join in as a matter of principle.
"They want to have control of the process. They don't want it to be in the hands of the police solely," she said. "They know their rights are civil rights; therefore they want to take civil action."
Charles Gauthier of the BIA said many businesses have suffered another hit because customers are keeping away from shopping in the downtown core.
"The best way people can show their support is to come downtown and support the businesses that have been affected," he said.
Most Vancouverites blame agitators for causing the majority of the trouble after the Canucks' loss, according to an NRG Research Group and Peak Communicators released Thursday.
The survey asked respondents to rate responsibility for the riot on a scale of 0 to 10 with zero being "not responsible at all" and 10 being "totally responsible."
"Committed agitators" scored an 8.7, while the Vancouver police only scored a 4.4.
Here's how the 400 telephone respondents rated responsibility:
- Committed agitators, 8.7
- Excess alcohol consumption, 7.6
- Young people from other parts of the Lower Mainland, 6.6
- Crowd members who got caught up in the moment, 6.3
- Curious onlookers who didn't leave when trouble started, 6.1
- City of Vancouver, 4.9
- Vancouver Police Department, 4.4
- B.C. government, 3.7
- CBC for showing the game outside on large screens, 3.2
- Vancouver Canucks, 1.8.
