Robert MacKay was trying to protect The Bay on Granville Street with a pole before he was pulled into a mob and repeatedly kicked, punched, and pepper strayed during the madness of the Stanley Cup Riot.

Seven months later, Vancouver’s Integrated Riot Investigation Team (IRIT) has released images of six of nine alleged rioters involved in the beating.  

MacKay admits he wasn’t “overly scarred by that night” but hopes the rioters will be held accountable.

“They caused a lot of damage to the city and others, and it would be a strong message to the rest of the country (if they were charged),” he said at a press conference Tuesday.

Three of nine suspects have been identified and charged with the assault on MacKay — Tanner Bedow, 25, Armando Garcia, 19, and Brandon Wise, 18, all from Surrey.

The Crown also approved charges Tuesday against two other rioters — Eric Hodson, 18, of Surrey and a 17-year-old Langley resident who can not be named.

The IRIT also added 251 photos of alleged rioters to their website in hopes the public will help identify the suspects.

According to Insp. Les Yeo, many of the suspects could be charged with break and enter and participating in a riot.

To date, the Crown has approved 116 charges against 43 suspected rioters.