1 Demonstrations, public disorder and riots
Demonstrations and marches are part of the democratic expression of popular opinion. Even if these are peaceful, they still require sustained, large-scale management by the police. The protest march which took place in London in 2003 against British involvement in the Iraq War is widely believed to be the largest ever public demonstration in Britain (see Figure 2), with estimates of over 1 million participants. It was generally peaceful but still posed logistical challenges for the police.
Figure 2: Demonstrators march against British Involvement in the Iraq War in February 2003 [Description: Tree-lined street packed with demonstrators carrying placards and banners i.e. 'Don't attack Iraq.' Police vans are lined up along one side and there is a line of police officers in high vis. jackets.] Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_February_2003_anti-war_protests#/media/File:London_anti-war_protest_banners.jpg
But not all marches or demonstrations remain peaceful. Large protests sometimes descend into violence, which can be both spontaneous or pre-planned.
Activity 1 Riot and public disorder in the twenty-first century
At a rough guess, how many episodes of large-scale public disorder (involving over significant numbers of people) do you think have occurred in Britain since the year 2000?
Look at the following table with brief details of some of the major riots since 2000.
2001: Oldham Precursors: racial tensions and provocation and attacks by far-right groups. Events: violent rioting by hundreds of youths involving petrol bombs and bricks/bottles. At least 20 injured and 37 people arrested. |
2001: Bradford Precursors: racial tensions and clashes between Anti-Nazi League and far right BNP/National Front. Events: clashes at competing rallies turned to violence following a stabbing. Around 1,000 youths clashed in groups and with police. Extensive attacks on property and cars, including arson. |
2005: Birmingham Precursors: ethnic tensions between groups of Caribbean and Pakistani origin. Events: running battles between groups of youths over several nights, including one fatal stabbing. |
2009: London Precursors: political, economic and climate protests before and during the G20 Summit protests; police ‘kettling’ tactics. Events: violent confrontations between police and some protestors, leading to the death of a bystander. Some damage to property. |
2010: London and elsewhere Precursors: student protests against cuts to education. Events: police ‘kettling’ of a student march in London resulted in a violent confrontation with protestors on several days. |
2011: London Precursors: anti-cuts protests attended by up to 500,000 in London. Events: some individual protest groups vandalised shops and banks, clashing with police. Around 200 arrests and 60+ injured. |
2011: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham Precursors: protests in London following the shooting of Mark Duggan by police. Events: significant rioting and looting, initially in London and then in many towns and cities. More than 3,000 arrests and five deaths. |
2020: UK-wide Precursors: protests held across the UK against the killing of George Floyd by police officers in the United States. Events: largely peaceful protests but significant vandalism of historical statues and clashes between protesters and police in central London. |
2022: Leicester Precursors: religious and ethic tension between British Hindus and British Muslims. Events: public unrest following a cricket match sparked clashes and attacks over several days. |
2023: Cardiff Precursors: death of 2 local boys in a collision with a police vehicle. Events: clashes between police and rioters over two nights, with multiple vehicles set on fire and a number of injuries to police and one member of the public. |
2024: Leeds Precursors: four children from a Romani family being taken into care. Events: a crowd attacked a police car, dispatch of additional police led to broader clashes and arson. |
2024: UK-wide Precursors: a mass stabbing of children with deaths of 3; racist tensions, social media rumours and far right influences. Events: misinformed by social media, protestors gathered outside mosques and several hotels housing asylum seekers in multiple locations over several days. Clashes between police and protestors in multiple locations, arson and looting. |
Discussion
The total number is at least 12 notable instances of public disorder and riots in the last 25 years, not including peaceful protests without violence, or with only low level violence. Does this surprise you? Is the number more or less than you estimated?
The causes of riots and public disorders are varied. The most serious riots in the twenty-first century were the English riots in August 2011. These started initially as protests in London following the killing of Mark Duggan (whose shooting by police you learned about in Week 3) and spread to numerous towns and cities. Despite the mass deployment of police, they resulted in looting, arson and the deaths of five people.
Following several successive days of disorder over 3,000 arrests were made. The riots precipitated huge public debate over the ‘state of the nation’ and a wide range of factors were identified:
- David Cameron (then Prime Minister) blamed a ‘broken society’ in ‘moral collapse’.
- The Daily Telegraph argued the riots were ‘violent disorder whose sole intent was criminal’.
Some later interviews and research suggested that poverty and a sense of social injustice were motivating factors:
… what the rioters talked about was a pervasive sense of injustice. For some this was economic – the lack of a job, money or opportunity. For others it was more broadly social [...] how they felt they were treated compared with others.
What emerged most strongly from subsequent research, however, was:
… a long burning frustration and anger with the police that, for those few August days, resulted in widespread civil unrest.
Violent public disorder places the police in a difficult position. If they intervene too soon, they may be accused of heavy-handed tactics. If they intervene too late, they can be blamed for letting events get out of hand. Consequently, one challenge the police face is what tactics to use when policing potential riot situations.