The riot took place after the New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. The riot started on Robson and Thurlow Street after a man fell off of a streetlight into the crowd. When police, who were on bikes, were trying to escort paramedics into the crowd, some members of the crowd tried to take the bikes from the police. Police warned the crowd to clear out and retreated. 