[LINK] "Turn Stanley Cup riot photos into evidence, blogs and Facebook groups urge

[rfmcdonald]

Does an online movement to use photos of last night's Stanley Cup rioters in Vancouver count as sousveillance? All this just after Facebook introduced its photo identification routines, too ...

Thousands of onlookers were busy snapping photos on their digital cameras and smartphones of rioters tipping cars, setting fires and smashing storefront windows following the Vancouver Canucks' loss in the Stanley Cup final.

Many of those photos quickly made their way onto the web and social networking sites, and now some angry residents are hoping they also become evidence against the rioters and looters.

By late Wednesday evening, even before the riot was fully under control, blogs and Facebook groups were already encouraging users to submit photos from a night that left the city's downtown core a burning, tear-gas-filled mess.

And police were also asking for those photos.

A site dubbed the "Vancouver 2011 Riot Criminal List," on the microblogging service Tumblr, started with a simple invitation:

"Lets hold people accountable for their actions!" the post began. "All right everyone, lets start posting pictures of the idiots setting fires and looting. Let’s get identifying these criminals."

That prompted a series of postings, including photos taken during the riot and screen shots from TV news broadcasts, showing out-of-control people, many wearing Canucks jerseys, smashing windows and towering over burning cars.

In most, the faces of those rioters are clearly visible, often with triumphant grins.

The unidentified operator of the site was also encouraging visitors to send their pictures directly to the police.

A Facebook group also asking for photos of rioters didn't specifically mention helping the police, but focused instead on public shaming.

"Let's post those pictures and put a label on the losers that made this city look so bad, ruined my neighbourhood," said the group's description.

"We know you just took the photos, so post them, and let them speak a thousand words."