Saturday remained relatively uneventful in terms of arrests and mayhem, despite Vancouver hosting the first of seven FIFA World Cup matches. Police reported only one arrest and one ejection throughout the day.
Minimal Incidents Despite Large Crowds
There were no red cards issued for Vancouver soccer crowds on a busy Saturday that saw the city host its first World Cup match of the tournament. Saturday's kickoff was scheduled for 9 p.m., with Australia eventually upsetting Turkey in a 2-0 result.
Despite the full day of excitement leading up to kickoff, Vancouver police said there were no major incidents, with just one arrest at a fan event and one ejection from B.C. Place.
Arrest at Fan Festival
One individual was arrested at the FIFA Fan Festival, held at Hastings Park, after breaching court-imposed conditions unrelated to the event. Police did not say what the conditions entailed.
Ejection from Stadium
Another fan was ejected from B.C. Place during the match for being too intoxicated and refusing to leave. It’s unknown what country the team was cheering for.
Footage shared with Postmedia following the game’s end showed a dense mass of people outside B.C. Place, packing the intersection of Griffiths Way and Pacific Boulevard, all while chanting into the night sky.
“Considering the size of the event, two arrests is minimal and would be a small number even for a regular Saturday night,” said Sgt. Adam Donaldson in an email to Postmedia on Sunday morning.
Police Deployment and Fan Marches
Before the match, thousands of fans had flooded the False Creek area, marching under the SkyTrain track and past Science World, along Quebec Street and into The Last Mile fan zone that funnels ticket holders toward the stadium’s entry.
“We had advance notice for the fan marches and we have been working with the organizers of those marches to determine numbers and the route,” said Davidson. “We had officers assigned to those marches to help facilitate a safe march.”
Davidson said there were up to 1,200 police officers deployed throughout Saturday and that the VPD felt “those resources were sufficient.” He also highlighted officers from the Calgary Police, Edmonton Police and Transit Police who assisted.
“Police presence is the best way to prevent any public disorder and I think that is what happened last night,” he said.
An expected 350,000 soccer fans are expected to watch the seven World Cup matches being hosted in Vancouver throughout the months of June and July, according to the province.
