Gastown Riots
Encyclopedia
The Gastown Riot, also known as "The Battle of Maple Tree
Square," occurred in Vancouver
, Canada
, on August 7, 1971.
Following weeks of arrests by undercover drug squad members in
Vancouver as part of a special police operation directed by Mayor Tom Campbell, police attacked a peaceful protest
Smoke-In in the Gastown
neighbourhood. The Smoke-In, organized by
the Youth International Party
(Vancouver Yippies) against the use of
undercover agents and in favour of the legalization of marijuana.
Of around two thousand protesters, 79 were arrested and 38 were charged.
Police were accused of heavy-handed tactics including indiscriminate
beatings with their newly issued riot batons. They also used horse-back
charges on crowds of onlookers and tourists.
A commission of inquiry into the incident was headed by Supreme Court
Justice Thomas Dohm. The Inquiry cited the Yippies as instigators of
the Smoke-In, calling them “intelligent and dangerous individuals,”
but was highly critical of the police's conduct and described the
incident as a police riot.
The Gastown Riots are commemorated in a two-story-high 2009 photo mural called Abbott & Cordova by local artist Stan Douglas
, installed in the atrium of the redeveloped Woodward's Complex.
Square," occurred in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on August 7, 1971.
Following weeks of arrests by undercover drug squad members in
Vancouver as part of a special police operation directed by Mayor Tom Campbell, police attacked a peaceful protest
Smoke-In in the Gastown
Gastown
Gastown is a national historic site in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the northeast end of Downtown adjacent to the Downtown Eastside. Its historical boundaries were the waterfront , Columbia Street, Hastings Street, and Cambie Street, which were the borders of the 1870 townsite survey, the proper...
neighbourhood. The Smoke-In, organized by
the Youth International Party
Youth International Party
The Youth International Party, whose members were commonly called Yippies, was a radically youth-oriented and countercultural revolutionary offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements of the 1960s. It was founded on Dec. 31, 1967...
(Vancouver Yippies) against the use of
undercover agents and in favour of the legalization of marijuana.
Of around two thousand protesters, 79 were arrested and 38 were charged.
Police were accused of heavy-handed tactics including indiscriminate
beatings with their newly issued riot batons. They also used horse-back
charges on crowds of onlookers and tourists.
A commission of inquiry into the incident was headed by Supreme Court
Justice Thomas Dohm. The Inquiry cited the Yippies as instigators of
the Smoke-In, calling them “intelligent and dangerous individuals,”
but was highly critical of the police's conduct and described the
incident as a police riot.
The Gastown Riots are commemorated in a two-story-high 2009 photo mural called Abbott & Cordova by local artist Stan Douglas
Stan Douglas
Stan Douglas is an artist based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has exhibited internationally, including Documenta IX, 1992, Documenta X, 1997, Documenta XI, 2002 and the Venice Biennale in 1990, 2001 and 2005...
, installed in the atrium of the redeveloped Woodward's Complex.