HUFFINGTON POST: While a city burned its Stanley Cup dream in the flurry of flames, looting and bone-breaking that was the 2011 Vancouver riots, an altogether different sort of passion spilled, literally, into the streets. At the moment, they’re known only as the kissing couple. But that won’t last long. When this unlikely snapshot of lovers entangled on a tear-gas filled street, with riot police in the fore and background emerged Thursday morning, you can bet the great media race was on. It will, most certainly, be the picture that launched a thousand media inquiries. Who are they? What were they thinking? And who will get to them first? MORE
RELATED: Hannah Jones said she was reading the story on ninemsn when she did a double-take after seeing the photo. “I was just like, ‘that’s my brother,” the 21-year-old told ninemsn. “I went on his Facebook page and saw all his mates had left messages. I couldn’t believe it. It’s all over the world.” Mr Jones’ friends immediately wrote on his Facebook page. One message ran: “Scotty, do you realise how massive this is? You’re front page of ninemsn.” Another wrote: “You keep getting played on the news. You’re famous!” Mr Jones posted a reply saying: “Classic! This was shortly after the riot police run over the top of us and naturally Alex needed some comforting.” MORE
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: I was covering last night’s Stanley Cup Playoffs for Getty Images when Vancouver erupted in riots after the Canucks’ Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins. It was complete chaos. Rioters set two cars on fire and then I saw looters break the window at a neighboring department store. At that point, the riot police charged right towards us. After I stopped running, I noticed in the space behind the line of police that two people were laying in the street with the riot police and a raging fire just beyond them. I knew I had captured a “moment” when I snapped the still forms against the backdrop of such chaos but it wasn’t until later when I returned to the rink to file my photos that my editor pointed out that the two people were not hurt, but kissing. MORE
THE WITNESS: “I was on the top floor of a parkade on Seymour, the couple was right outside of the parkade on the street in front of me. What happen was the police line rushed the crowd and this couple trying to stay together couldn’t react in time and were run over my 2 riot police officers. The girl who was knocked over landed head first on the pavement with her boyfriend landed partially on top of her. She was in visible pain, crying, but the 2 officers gave them a parting shove and moved on.” MORE