The man photographed in a passionate embrace with a woman in the middle of riots in Vancouver is an Australian, according to a Perth woman who has contacted ninemsn.
PHOTOS: Rioters overcome by passion
Speculation has been rife around the world about who the kissing couple are since the striking image was published this morning.
Read more: Couple lies down and kiss amid riots
Hannah Jones, from Perth, has come forward saying the man in the shot is her 29-year-old brother Scott, who has been living and working in the Canadian city for six months.
Ms Jones said her brother had recently started dating the girl in the photo, identified as Alex Thomas, who is a Canadian.
And his mother, Megan Jones, was shocked to spot her son lying in the middle of the street.
"It is something he would do, that's our boy. He has always lived in his own world, he's special like that. He doesn’t always connect with what going on around him.
"I knew it was him because he doesn't have a lot of clothes with him and he always puts on the same thing.
"I'd have to have my house flooded to get on the news, but he just has to kiss a beautiful girl," she said.
The riot escalated when rampaging ice hockey fans, angry after their beloved Vancouver Canucks team lost a finals game, begun trashing the city.
Mrs Jones said her son had been at the game.
"He's over there having the time of his life, quite clearly," she said.
"But he told me recently that he was coming back with the best souvenir ever in Alex."
Mr Jones, who has an older brother and two younger sisters, has been performing a live stand-up show while travelling, and his mum does not think this will do him any harm at all.
"It certainly gives him more material for his routine," she said.
"But I don’t think he would have planned it. He doesn’t think like that. He just reacts and the whole world goes on around him. Teachers always said he didn’t engage with what's going on."
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."
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