Product Code Database
Riot control is a form of public order policing used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to social control, disperse, or arrest people who are involved in a riot, demonstration or protest.
If a riot is spontaneous, then actions which cause people to stop and think (e.g. loud noises or issuing instructions in a calm tone) can be enough to stop it. However, these methods usually fail when there is severe anger, or the riot was planned or organized. Riot control personnel have long used less lethal weapons such as batons and Whip to disperse crowds and detain rioters. Since the 1980s, riot control officers have also used tear gas, pepper spray, , stun grenades, and electric . In some cases, riot squads may also use Long Range Acoustic Devices, , armoured fighting vehicles, aerial surveillance, or mounted police on horses. Persons performing riot control typically wear protective equipment such as riot helmets, face visors, personal armor (vests, neck protectors, knee pads, etc.), and . Even though riot tactics are effective in controlling crowds, they can also lead to significant psychological effects on both the rioters and the police. Exposure to intense fear, stress, and violence during these confrontations can result in long-term mental health issues, like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and heightened aggression, which can impact the well-being of protesters and police officers.
There have been cases where lethal weapons are used to violently suppress a protest or riot, as in the Tbilisi Massacre, Nika riots, Boston Massacre, Haymarket Massacre, Banana Massacre, Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Kent State Shootings, Soweto uprising, Sharpeville massacre, Mendiola Massacre, Bloody Sunday (1905), Ponce massacre, Río Piedras massacre, Bloody Sunday (1972), 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, 2017 Venezuelan protests, 2018–2019 Gaza border protests, 2022 Sri Lankan protests, 2022 Kazakh unrest and Mahsa Amini protests.
The terminology arguably first arises in the Keystone Cops short "A Hash House Fraud" in 1915.A Hash House Haul 1915
In France, for example, several revolts were fueled by poor handling by the military. The National Gendarmerie created specialized "mobile" gendarmerie forces several times during the 19th century in times of trouble but these units were disbanded soon after the end of the troubles they had been tasked to handle and there was no permanent organization in place until it was finally decided in 1921 to create "Mobile Gendarmerie platoons" within the Departmental Gendarmerie. These platoons, either horse mounted or on foot were composed of 40 gendarmes each (60 in the Paris Region). In 1926, the platoons formed the "Garde Républicaine mobile" (mobile republican guard or GRM), which became a distinct branch of the Gendarmerie in 1927, the platoons becoming part of companies and legions. By 1940, the GRM was a force 21,000 strong, composed of 14 Légions, 54 company groups and 167 companies.
Long the only large force specialized in maintaining or restoring law and order in France during demonstrations or riots, the GRM progressively developed the doctrine and skills needed in that role: exercise restraint, avoid confrontation as long as possible, always leave an "exit door" for the crowd, etc. In 1940, after the fall of France, the German authorities had the GRM disbanded but it was reinstated in 1944 and renamed Mobile Gendarmerie in 1954.
The first squad trained in modern techniques of riot control in Asia was formed in 1925 in colonial Shanghai as a response to the mismanaged riot of the May Thirtieth Movement.
New policing methods, including combat pistol shooting, hand to hand combat skills, and knife fight training, were pioneered by British Assistant Commissioner William E. Fairbairn and officer Eric Anthony Sykes of the Shanghai Municipal Police as a response to a staggering rise in armed crime in the Shanghai had become one of the world's most dangerous cities due to a breakdown in law and order in the country and the growth of organised crime and the opium trade.
Under Fairbairn, the SMP developed a myriad of riot control measures. These riot control techniques led to the introduction of Shanghai's "Reserve Unit", used to forcibly disband riots and respond to high-level crimes such as and armed robbery. The skills developed in Shanghai have been adopted and adapted by both international police forces and clandestine warfare units. Fairbairn was again the central figure, not only leading the Reserve Unit, but teaching his methods around the world, including in the United States, and colonial British Cyprus and the Straits Settlements.
One of many additional concerns is to prevent people in the crowd from taking officers' side arms, which may be stolen or even used against the police. In a very heavy crowd, the officer may not be able to see who is responsible for taking a weapon, and may not even notice that it has happened. For this reason, riot police may have with positive locking mechanisms or other extra means of retention, if their agencies can afford such tools. However, this can be a trade-off that increases the amount of time needed to draw the sidearm in an emergency. Alternatively, riot police may not carry sidearms at all.
The initial choice of tactics determines the type of offensive equipment used. The base choice is between deadly force (e.g. 12 gauge shotgun) and less-than-lethal weaponry (e.g. tear gas, pepper spray, , , batons, and other ). The decision is based on the perceived level of threat and the existing laws; in many countries it is illegal to use lethal force to control riots in all but the most extreme circumstances.
Special riot hand weapons include the wooden or rubber baton; the African sjambok, a heavy leather or plastic whip, and the Indian Fighting stick, a long cane with a blunt metal tip. Vehicle-mounted may serve to augment personal weapons. Some water cannons let police add dye to mark rioters or tear gas to help disperse the crowds.
In major unrest, police in armoured vehicles may be sent in following an initial subduing with firepower. Occasionally, , fire hoses, or mounted police are deployed.
Pepper spray typically comes in canisters, which are often small enough to be carried or concealed weapon in a pocket or purse. Pepper spray can also be bought concealed in items such as finger ring. There are also pepper spray projectiles available, which can be fired from a paintball gun. Having been used for years against demonstrators, it is increasingly being used by police in routine interventions.
While the use of tear gas in warfare is prohibited by various international treatiese.g. the Geneva Protocol of 1925: 'Prohibited the use of "asphyxiating gas, or any other kind of gas, liquids, substances or similar materials"' that most countries have signed, use by police and for private self-defense is not banned by these treaties.
Popular tear gases include the eye irritants CS gas, CN gas, and CR gas. Among a long list of substances, these three have become of greater importance than the others because of their effectiveness and low risks when used. Today, CS has largely replaced CN as the most widely used tear gas internationally.
CN gas and CR gas are, thus, difficult to decompose under practical conditions, whereas CS gas can easily be inactivated by means of a water solution. Skin is suitably decontaminated of CS and CN gas by thorough washing with soap and water. CS is then decomposed, whereas CN is only removed via soap and water. The effects of CR gas are greatly increased by water, causing any attempt to DECON CR via soap and water to increase the severity and duration of the effects. When decontamination of CR is attempted with soap and water the effects of CR can last up to 48 hours
Decontamination of material after contamination with CR gas is not possible for up to 45 days. CS can be decontaminated l with a 5–10 percent soda solution or 2 percent alkaline solution. If this type of decontamination cannot be accomplished (e.g., contaminated rooms and furniture), then the only other means is by intensive air exchange—preferably with hot air. Exposed streets and sidewalks will have toxic and irritating CS powder that will be stirred into the air by traffic and pedestrians long after the cloud has dissipated, and should be washed away with water. In contrast to human beings, domesticated animals generally have lower sensitivity to tear gases. Dogs and horses can therefore be used by police for riot control even when tear gas is used.
As a less aggressive step, mounted police may first be sent into the crowd. The might and height offered by the horse are combined with its training, allowing an officer to more safely infiltrate a crowd. Usually, when front-facing a riot, officers slowly walk in a line parallel to the riot's front, extending to both its ends, as they noisily and simultaneously march and beat their shields with their batons, to cause fear and psychological effects on the crowd.
In the United Kingdom, usually when large demonstrations take place that are deemed unstable, the territorial police force responsible for the demonstration in that area will usually deploy Police Support Unit personnel who are trained in riot tactics, along with normal divisional officers. If the demonstration turns violent, police will seal roads and other exits to contain protesters in a single area (known as kettling) to prevent widespread damage and wait until the protesters tire. These tactics were seen during the 2009 G-20 London summit protests and the 2010 student protests in London. Tear gas and other more offensive tactics are used as a last resort. Throughout police will be videoing or photographing protesters for future arrests, "snatch squad" tactics might also be used where several police officers, usually in protective riot gear, rush forwards, occasionally in flying wedge formation to break through the front of a crowd, with the objective of snatching one or more individuals from a riot that are attempting to control the demonstration at which they are present; the target may be a leader or a speaker, or someone who seems to be leading the crowd. This tactic was used in the 2011 England Riots, most notably by Greater Manchester Police who deployed this tactic in Manchester city centre on 9 August 2011.
A more straightforward tactic police may use is a baton charge which involves police officers charging at a crowd of people with batons and in some cases, riot shields. They run at the crowd hitting people with their batons, and in some situations use riot shields to push them away. Baton charging is designed to cause the maximum amount of pain, in the hope that they would be compelled to move away from the scene, dispersing the crowd.
There are also legitimate health and safety concerns. Some effects of riot agents include irritation, runny nose, chest tightness, coughing as well as swelling. Long term effects include blindness and respiratory failure. Death can also occur instantly due to chemical burns and respiratory failure. Different countries use different methods of riot control. Chloroacetophenone, chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (tear gas) and dibenzoxazepine are common ingredients for riot control. These are highly toxic and cancerous. Countries often have different standards for usage of chemicals like capsaicin (pepper spray) and who is allowed to own and use these chemicals for self-defense. Some scholars have called for natural alternatives to limit long term health effects like those found in the Capsicum genus and the Zingiber genus.
The Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests are an example that has been studied due to its psychological health effects, stemming from the severe nature of the police response. During these protests in Hong Kong, the police reportedly used upwards of 16,000 canisters of tear gas on these protesters. A survey of the Hong Kong protesters found that 25.7% of the population experienced depression, while 9.1% had thoughts of committing suicide. There were similar findings during the Arab Spring in Egypt, where school children in schools near the Tahrir Square (the location of massive riots) were experiencing higher rates of depression. In France, it was found that Yellow Vest protesters who encountered police violence had a 1.54% higher likelihood of experiencing severe depressive symptoms and were 2.58 times more likely to exhibit signs indicative of PTSD. In the whole scheme of police violence towards protesters, it is said that people who were involved in or just living in areas affected by riots could experience an uptick in PTSD by 4% to 41%.
Risk factors that can exacerbate mental health issues from riots:
Symptoms that Police Officers may face after riots:
are devices designed to create an extremely unpleasant odor for riot control and area denial purposes. Stink bombs are believed to be less dangerous than other riot control chemicals, since they are effective at low concentrations. Sticky foam weapons are being tested, which cover and immobilize rioters with a gooey foam.
Low frequency sonic weaponry are weapons of various types that use sound to injure or incapacitate subjects using a focused beam of sound or infrasound. Active denial systems (ADS) are a non-lethal, directed-energy weapon developed by the U.S. military. The ADS directs electromagnetic radiation, specifically, high-frequency microwave radiation, at a frequency of 95 GHz, which causes the water in the upper epidermis to boil, stimulating a "burning" sensation in the nerve endings and generating intense pain. Dazzler lasers are directed-energy weapons that use intense light to cause temporary blindness or disorientation of rioters.
|
|
