Measures taken against unlawful or violent crowds of people
Not to be confused with crowd control.
American marines and Caribbean soldiers clashing during a riot control training exercise in 2011
Riot control measures are used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, and arrest people who are involved in a riot, unlawful demonstration or unlawful protest.
If a riot is spontaneous and irrational, actions which cause people to stop and think for a moment (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 with a legitimate cause, or the riot was planned or organized. Riot control personnel have long used less lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds and detain rioters. Since the 1980s, riot control officers have also used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, stun grenades, and electric tasers. In some cases, riot squads may also use Long Range Acoustic Devices, water cannons, armoured fighting vehicles, aerial surveillance, police dogs or mounted police on horses. Persons performing riot control typically wear protective equipment such as riot helmets, face visors, body armor (vests, neck protectors, knee pads, etc.), gas masks and riot shields.
There have been cases where lethal weapons are used to violently suppress a protest or riot, as in the Nika Riots in the Roman Empire, Boston Massacre, Haymarket Massacre, Banana Massacre, Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Kent State Shootings, Soweto Uprising, Sharpeville massacre, Mendiola Massacre, Bloody Sunday (1905), Ponce massacre, Bloody Sunday (1972), 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, 2017 Venezuelan protests, 2018–2019 Gaza border protests, Citizenship Amendment Act protests, 2022 Sri Lankan protests, 2022 Kazakh unrest and Mahsa Amini protests.
Riotcontrol measures are used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, and arrest people who are involved...
which to air grievances. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots typically consist of disorganized groups that are frequently "chaotic...
Riot police are police who are organized, deployed, trained or equipped to confront crowds, protests or riots. Riot police may be regular police officers...
marketed for hunting. The riot shotgun is used by military personnel for guard duty and was at one time used for riotcontrol, and is commonly used as...
branded mixture). While lachrymatory agents are commonly deployed for riotcontrol by law enforcement and military personnel, its use in warfare is prohibited...
less-lethal munitions are used, riotcontrol vehicles. A riotcontrol vehicle, also known as a riot suppression vehicle or simply a riot vehicle, is an armored...
firearms designed for riotcontrol use, or standard firearms, usually shotguns and grenade launchers, adapted for riotcontrol use with appropriate ammunition...
one-handed models may also be used. They are generally intended to be used in riotcontrol, to protect the user from melee attacks with blunt or edged weapons and...
Riot Police Unit (機動隊, Kidō-tai) are the rapid reaction forces of Japanese prefectural police. These units are not only riot police, but a type of emergency...
in the 1950s, the first actual riotcontrol teams armed with riot shields and batons appeared; the goal was for the riot shield officers to hold up the...
of riotcontrol. This activity is dealt with by the RiotControl Department, which is part of the Crime Prevention Main Department. The RiotControl Department...
15, 2011, in the downtown core of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a riot broke out almost immediately after the conclusion of the Boston Bruins' win...
looting, assault, and arson occurred during the riots, which local police forces had difficulty controlling. The situation in the Los Angeles area was resolved...
rubber coated, less-lethal grenade designed for law enforcement and riotcontrol applications. A blast ball is similar to a stun grenade in that, when...
is a 12-gauge shotgun with a revolving cylinder that was designed for riotcontrol and combat. The Armsel Striker was designed by Hilton R. Walker, a Zimbabwean...
Central Reserve Police Force of India established to deal with riot and crowd control situations. RAF was raised on 11 December 1991 with headquarters...
Revolutionary War, and led to increased police militarization (for example, riotcontrol training and larger, heavier batons). Its ostensible genesis was a dispute...
police in riotcontrol and crowd control. The snatch squad in riotcontrol involves several police officers, usually wearing protective riot gear, rushing...
de-escalation. The first SWAT units were formed in the 1960s to handle riotcontrol and violent confrontations with criminals. The number and usage of SWAT...
existing units within Polri. Some of its main duties are counter-terrorism, riotcontrol, high-risk law enforcement where the use of firearms are present, search...
weapons, and thrown projectiles such as bricks, as may be met in riotcontrol. Many modern riot squad helmets are reinforced with materials that will protect...
as informants for prison authorities. Police regained control of PNM 36 hours after the riots had begun. By then, thirty-three inmates had died and more...
Riot Squad may refer to: Police riot squad, see RiotcontrolRiot Squad (band), an English punk rock band from Mansfield, England Riot Squad (1933 film)...
smoke cartridge used primarily for training in the use of the XM674/M674 riotcontrol cartridge. A 40×53 mm white phosphorus cartridge, designated XM574, was...
dozens of meters. They are used in firefighting, large vehicle washing, riotcontrol, and mining. Most water cannons fall under the category of a fire monitor...
The 1967 Detroit riot, also known as the 12th Street Riot, was the bloodiest of the urban riots in the United States during the "Long, hot summer of 1967"...
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