if there continues to be daily articles in all the major newspapers linking violent activity with UFC, in my opinion.
June 20, 2010:
Vancouver police have released photos of the suspects in an assault against a gay couple last weekend now being investigated as a hate crime.
"We're asking the public to look at these images, and if anyone has information that can help us further this investigation, we would be really appreciative of the phone calls," Chief Jim Chu said Friday.
On June 12 at 10:45 p.m., David Holtzman and his partner Peter Regier were assaulted after they confronted two men who were urinating near their Keefer Street townhouse.
Holtzman said he believes one of the suspects has connections to the Ultimate Fighting Championship event that took place several blocks away at GM Place that night.
"I know that the police have been given evidence saying that the primary suspect has links to UFC," he said.
"It is gay-bashing, but it also is how do we make and keep our neighbourhoods and our communities safe?"
Chu did not comment on whether there is a link between the suspected hate crime and the mixed-martial-arts event.
Holtzman challenged Mayor Gregor Robertson to reassess the safety around the city's two-year trial period for allowing UFC events.
"I'd like to make sure that you're taking into consideration really seriously the safety of the neighbourhood," he said to the mayor.
Robertson said the city will look at next steps with the UFC policy, based on the outcome of the investigation.
"The first step is that we have the investigation completed and we understand whether there's any linkage to the events that night," he said.
"That is a two-year trial for UFC and we want to see how it goes, what positive and negative impacts it may have for the city.
"Right now, we don't know if there is a direct connection until the investigation is complete."
Last week, Statistics Canada released figures indicating that Vancouver has the highest ratio of gay-bashing crimes among major Canadian cities.
Chu urged anyone who believes they have been a victim of a hate crime to report the incident to police.
"You have my word that all calls will be thoroughly investigated and we will do everything we can to see that justice is done," he said.
ycole@theprovince.com
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Photo+released+bashing+suspects/3178021/story.html#ixzz0ray5EEV7
Holtzman said he believes one of the suspects has connections to the Ultimate Fighting Championship event that took place several blocks away at GM Place that night.
"I know that the police have been given evidence saying that the primary suspect has links to UFC," he said.
Well that is just stupid.
Wearing a tapout-shirt = Link to the UFC
So essentially Vancouver has a crime problem, and the UFC comes to Vancouver.
Crime continues, it's the UFC's fault.
There has never been an assault at or around a NHL hockey game and that's a FACT!
Where was OMA at the time?
sensational headline is sensational, old news is old.
bad thread title buddy
only retards think that beating had anything to do with the UFC
how many gay bashings have happened after a night at thebar????????????????? let's close all bars in Vancouver!!!!!!!!!!!
Old news? No. The pictures of the attackers was plastered on the main page of the newspaper yesterday. This is fresh news.
The attackers will not be able to hide much longer. They will be exposed, and we'll then see how the media manages the story, after the arrest.
Vancouver police catch violent criminals 99% of the time. Vancouver is a big city, but it's a small city all the same.
The Indian community (mom and dad likely) will turn these guys in. 100% guaranteed.
Then if the attackers tell the cops that they were violent because of the UFC, and otherwise have no criminal record, UFC will be banished in Canada.
The UFC was banished from PPV because of one complaint from a citizen in Ottawa that thought it leads to violence. I was on the team that got it re-instated.
This story will have either small or huge consequences for the UFC in Canada.
And, I agree with the post above. Of 200 NHL games I have gone to, yes there's rowdy fans, but no prolonged beatings or hate crimes that I can remember seeing. Sometimes a hockey game has more fights (on the ice) than a whole UFC card. The hockey players don't use gloves either.
It is not fresh news their pictures were plastered all over Vancouver Sun and other Canadian publications last week....
By the way, I'm neutral on this issue.
If in fact, UFC leads to random violence toward private citizens on private properties, then it's something I don't want in my city.
I've studied this for more than 15 years, and I can truly say that in the early days, when hardly anyone trained, you wouldn't see this at the bars when the PPV was live.
But, me and my buddies would have a few drinks, put our Gi's on and wrestle in the back yard. A far cry from ganging up on a couple of queer fellows on their property.
Let's see where the investigation leads.
In today's paper, their is a letter to the editor defending the UFC. It got printed, so the media is listening.
Vancouver is so lame in so many ways...Where to begin?
I'd like to see what "links" he has to the UFC, other than being a fan.
Vancouver has awesome crowds.
If in fact, UFC leads to random violence toward private citizens on private properties, then it's something I don't want in my city.
Stupid drunk assholes led to the violence that night. Drinks were limited at the show, they did not get drunk at the event. Your statement is pretty short sighted.
Ryan MacLeod - I saw a girl get beat up in the middle of a crowd following a hockey game IN VANCOUVER.
Ban hockey?
I saw Bertuzzi club a dude in the back of the skull ending his career, yet they still play hockey there and his career continues.
One thing is for sure. Vancouver is backwards in so many ways. Beautiful on the outside, rotten on the inside.
Tailgating was banned last week for CFL games. Parking? 30.00 bucks.
Bertuzzi was playing a contact sport making millions of dollars. The moron he jacked with his FIST, not stick, was a sissy (Steve Moore) who will get the rest of Bertuzzi's life's income for the hit.
I think alot of people are not getting the point. Yes, there are idiots everywhere at every event, but the UFC was only 1 event 1 time, and it barely got legalized at the last second for Vancouver. The next day, media posts the story.
Back in the late 90's there was an Extreme Fighting event scheduled, and the same ass-backwards city council canceled the event 2 days before it was scheduled to the sold-out Agrodome on the East side of Vancouver.
This forced NHB to go underground.
In the 90's there were several high profile underground events in the city that garnered alot of negative attention. Believe me, I was at all of them, and the RCMP were hell bent on arresting everyone involved.
Google "tent tumble" to get an idea of what I'm referring to.
So, it's just politics as usual for Vancouver to be at the wrong end of everything.
savage animal - bad thread title buddy