riot romeo and juliet

There was fire, looting, blood-spattered rioters, shattered glass, destruction and mayhem. 

Yet in the aftermath of the chaos that rocked Vancouver, Canada, last week, the image that has burned more indelibly in the public consciousness than any fire or baton-wielding policeman is a simple kiss.

Scott Jones and girlfriend Alex Thomas were photographed kissing on the ground while surrounded by riot police as chaos swirled around them following the Vancouver Canucks’ loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday. Illuminated in a glow, they looked like they belonged on a movie poster (their embrace even drew a comparison to the iconic image of lovers on a beach from the film classic “From Here to Eternity”).

In the flurry of interviews that followed the photograph's publication, Jones told reporters that he kissed his girlfriend in order to calm her down after police knocked them to the ground.

 “I was just trying to calm her down, it was pretty scary for her, and it seemed like the best thing to do.’’ said Jones.

And any girl will tell you... a good kiss will make just about anything okay.