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40-594: The terms of reference for the enquiry were "to inquire urgently into the serious disorder in Brixton on 10–12 April 1981 and to report, with the power to make recommendations". The riot took place in Brixton , London on 11 April 1981. At the time when Brixton underwent deep social and economic problems — high unemployment , high crime , poor housing, no amenities — in a predominantly African-Caribbean community . The Metropolitan Police began Operation Swamp 81 at

80-480: A grievance or out of dissent . Historically, riots have occurred due to poverty, unemployment, poor living conditions , governmental oppression , taxation or conscription , conflicts between ethnic groups ( race riot ) or religions (e.g., sectarian violence , pogrom ), the outcome of a sporting event (e.g., sports riot , football hooliganism ) or frustration with legal channels through which to air grievances. While individuals may attempt to lead or control

120-408: A "disposition towards violent protest". The Scarman report highlighted problems of racial disadvantage and inner city decline, warning that "urgent action" was needed to prevent racial disadvantage becoming an "endemic, ineradicable disease threatening the very survival of our society". Scarman found unquestionable evidence of the disproportionate and indiscriminate use of 'stop and search' powers by

160-509: A number of people have died or been injured as a result of their use. For example, seventeen deaths were caused by rubber bullets in Northern Ireland over the thirty five years between 1970 and 2005. A high risk of being arrested is even more effective against rioting than severe punishments. As more and more people join the riot, the risk of being arrested goes down, which persuades still more people to join. In India, rioting

200-582: A racist state not only display a complete ignorance of the constitutional arrangements of controlling the police, it is an injustice to the senior officers of the force." In his recommendations Scarman accepts that "hard" policing, such as stop and search operations, would be necessary in the future in areas characterised by severe social problems. Hence the Scarman Report seeks to establish how policing could be enforced without provoking further outbreaks of disorder. Riot A riot or mob violence

240-734: A riot, riots typically consist of disorganized groups that are frequently "chaotic and exhibit herd behavior ." There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that riots are not irrational, herd-like behavior (sometimes called mob mentality ), but actually follow inverted social norms. Dealing with riots is often a difficult task for police forces. They may use tear gas or CS gas to control rioters. Riot police may use less-than-lethal methods of control, such as shotguns that fire flexible baton rounds to injure or otherwise incapacitate rioters for easier arrest. Food riots are caused by harvest failures, incompetent food storage, hoarding, poisoning of food, or attacks by pests like locusts . When

280-618: A specific religion, or those believed to belong to that religion. Sports riots such as the Nika riots can be sparked by the losing or winning of a specific team or athlete. Fans of the two teams may also fight. Sports riots may happen as a result of teams contending for a championship, a long series of matches, or scores that are close. Sports are the most common cause of riots in the United States, accompanying more than half of all championship games or series. Almost all sports riots in

320-452: Is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority , property or people . Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targeted varies depending on the riot and the inclinations of those involved. Targets can include shops , cars , restaurants , state-owned institutions, and religious buildings. Riots often occur in reaction to

360-423: Is a riot for political purposes or that develops out of a political protest . A prison riot is a large-scale, temporary act of concerted defiance or disorder by a group of prisoners against prison administrators, prison officers, or other groups of prisoners. It is often done to express a grievance, force change or attempt escape. In a race riot , race or ethnicity is the key factor. The term had entered

400-583: Is an offense under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In 1988 the Israeli army issued rules of engagement for the use of plastic bullets which defined a "violent riot" as a disturbance with the participation of three or more persons, including stone throwing, erection of a barrier or barricade, burning a tire. Riot is a statutory offence in England and Wales . It is created by section 1(1) of

440-472: Is shown there were at least twelve present using or threatening unlawful violence. The word "violence" is defined by section 8. The violence can be against the person or against property. The mens rea is defined by section 6(1). In the past, the Riot Act had to be read by an official – with the wording exactly correct – before violent policing action could take place. If the group did not disperse after

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480-733: The 2005 civil unrest in France lasted over three weeks and spread to nearly 300 towns. By the end of the incident, over 10,000 vehicles were destroyed and over 300 buildings burned. Over 2,800 suspected rioters were arrested and 126 police and firefighters were injured. Estimated damages were over €200 Million. Riots are typically dealt with by the police, although methods differ from country to country. Tactics and weapons used can include attack dogs , water cannons , plastic bullets , rubber bullets , pepper spray , flexible baton rounds , and snatch squads . Many police forces have dedicated divisions to deal with public order situations. Some examples are

520-577: The Public Order Act 1986 . Sections 1(1) to (5) of that Act read: (1) Where 12 or more persons who are present together use or threaten unlawful violence for a common purpose and the conduct of them (taken together) is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety, each of the persons using unlawful violence for the common purpose is guilty of riot. A single person can be liable for an offence of riot when they use violence, provided that it

560-478: The Territorial Support Group ( London ), Special Patrol Group ( London ), Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité ( France ), Mobiele Eenheid ( Netherlands ), and Arrest units ( Germany ). The policing of riots has been marred by incidents in which police have been accused of provoking rioting or crowd violence. While the weapons described above are officially designated as non-lethal ,

600-517: The Tyne to riot in 1709, tin miners to plunder granaries at Falmouth in 1727." In the 1977 Egyptian Bread Riots , hundreds of thousands of people rioted after food subsidies stopped and prices rose. A police riot is a term for the disproportionate and unlawful use of force by a group of police against a group of civilians. This term is commonly used to describe a police attack on civilians or provoking civilians into violence. A political riot

640-416: The 1980s. Under United States federal law , a riot is defined as: A public disturbance involving (1) an act or acts of violence by one or more persons part of an assemblage of three or more persons, which act or acts shall constitute a clear and present danger of, or shall result in, damage or injury to the property of any other person or to the person of any other individual or (2) a threat or threats of

680-590: The Act was read, lethal force could legally be used against the crowd. See also the Black Act . Riot is an indictable-only offence . A person convicted of riot is liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding ten years, or to a fine , or to both. See the following cases: In the case of riot connected to football hooliganism, the offender may be banned from football grounds for a set or indeterminate period of time and may be required to surrender their passport to

720-534: The Conservative and Labour speakers in the parliamentary debate on the riots accepted the need to support the police, substantial disagreement centred on the issue of what role social deprivation and unemployment had in bringing young people to protest violently on the streets. As a consequence of the Scarman Report a new code for police behaviour was put forward in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 ; and

760-654: The Council for Community Relations of Lambeth, London Borough of Lambeth , Brixton local community groups and clubs, the Brixton Legal Defence Group , and the Commission for Racial Equality . According to the Scarman report, the riots were a spontaneous outburst of built-up resentment sparked by particular incidents. Lord Scarman stated that "complex political, social and economic factors" created

800-759: The Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962. There is an offence under the law of Scotland which is known both as " mobbing " and "mobbing and rioting". In July 1981, both Dundee and Edinburgh saw significant disorder as part of the events of that July, while in 1994 and in 2013, two years after the English riots of August 2011, Edinburgh saw rioting, albeit localised to one specific area and not part of any bigger 'riot wave'. Events in 1981 were very similar to those in England, although sources are severely limited. Both Niddrie and Craigmillar saw riots in

840-408: The English language in the United States by the 1890s. Early use of the term referred to riots that were often a mob action by members of a majority racial group against people of other perceived races. In a religious riot , the key factor is religion . Historically, these riots could involve groups arguing who possesses the primate of orthodoxy . The rioting mob targets people and properties of

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880-613: The Macpherson Report stated that many of the Scarman Report recommendations had been ignored and that, in fact, the Metropolitan Police was "institutionally racist". The Scarman Report pushed the issue of law and order, and specifically policing, onto the mainstream agenda. The debate in the House of Parliament to mark the publication of the Scarman Report on the 26 November 1981 had as its theme "law and order" and

920-691: The Public Order Act 1986 now provides: As to this provision, see pages 84 and 85 of the Law Commission's report. The common law offence of riot was abolished for England and Wales on 1 April 1987. The Riot Act 1414 ( 2 Hen. 5. Stat. 1 . c. 8) was an Act of the Parliament of England . Section 1 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1948 repealed: The whole chapter, so far as unrepealed,

960-408: The Scarman report, the local community mistrusted the police and their methods of policing. Scarman recommended changes in training and law enforcement, and the recruitment of more ethnic minorities into the police force. According to the report " institutional racism " did not exist, but positive discrimination to tackle racial disadvantage was "a price worth paying". The theme of the Scarman Report

1000-502: The United States occur in the winning team's city. The economic and political effects of riots can be as complex as their origins. Property destruction and harm to individuals are often immediately measurable. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots , 2,383 people were injured, more than 12,000 were arrested, 63 people were killed and over 700 businesses burned. Property damage was estimated at over $ 1 billion. At least ten of those killed were shot by police or National Guard forces. Similarly,

1040-413: The act also created an independent Police Complaints Authority , established in 1985, to attempt to restore public confidence in the police. Scarman reported a shift from a concern about " race relations " to " community relations". According to Paul Rich, Lord Scarman's views expressed in the Scarman Report most closely resembled that of the mid- Victorian era . Scarman was concerned with the "plight" of

1080-436: The beginning of April, aimed at reducing street crime , mainly through the heavy use of the so-called sus law , which allowed police to stop and search (and ultimately jail) individuals on the basis of a mere 'suspicion' of wrongdoing. Plain clothes police officers were dispatched into Brixton, and in five days almost 1,000 people were stopped and searched. The riot resulted in 299 injuries to police and 65 injuries to members of

1120-401: The benefits of a materialist society." The Scarman Report does not apportion blame to the police. While the report acknowledges that "ill considered, immature and racially prejudiced actions of some officers" contributed to the riots Lord Scarman only acknowledges "unwitting discrimination against Black people". The report concludes that "The allegation that the police are the oppressive arm of

1160-405: The commission of an act or acts of violence by one or more persons part of an assemblage of three or more persons having, individually or collectively, the ability of immediate execution of such threat or threats, where the performance of the threatened act or acts of violence would constitute a clear and present danger of, or would result in, damage or injury to the property of any other person or to

1200-459: The ethnic communities in UK inner cities and their relationship with the rest of the national "community". He concluded that it was essential that "people are encouraged to secure a stake in, feel a pride in, and have a sense of responsibility for their own area". While the importance of community involvement in policing was recognised, the Scarman report pointed to "community redevelopment and planning" as

1240-462: The main area of concern. Scarman called for a policy of "direct coordinated attack on racial disadvantage". The Scarman Report sought to locate the riots in the social, economic and political context of the acute deprivation in Brixton at the time. Lord Scarman identified the causes of the riots in the pathology of the Caribbean family, in the question of bilingualism amongst Asian children and in

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1280-631: The person of any other individual. 18 U.S.C.   § 2102 . Each state may have its own definition of a riot. In New York , the term riot is not defined explicitly, but under § 240.08 of the New York Penal Law , "A person is guilty of inciting to riot when one urges ten or more persons to engage in tumultuous and violent conduct of a kind likely to create public alarm." Sources: [REDACTED] Media related to Riots at Wikimedia Commons Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Too Many Requests If you report this error to

1320-421: The police against black people. The report details the use of arbitrary roadblocks, the stopping and searching of pedestrians and mass detention (943 stops, 118 arrests and 75 charges). Operation Swamp 81 was conducted by the police without any consultation with the community or the home-beat officers. Liaison arrangements between police, community and local authority had collapsed before the riots and according to

1360-600: The police for a period of time in the event of a club or international match, or international tournament, connected with the offence. This prevents travelling to the match or tournament in question. (The measures were brought in by the Football (Disorder) Act 2000 after rioting of England fans at Euro 2000 . ) See the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 and section 235 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 . Section 10 of

1400-489: The public becomes desperate from such conditions, groups may attack shops, farms, homes, or government buildings to obtain bread or other staple foods like grain or salt. T. S. Ashton , in his study of food riots among colliers , noted that "the turbulence of the colliers is, of course, to be accounted for by something more elementary than politics: it was the instinctive reaction of virility to hunger." Charles Wilson noted, "Spasmodic rises in food prices provoked keelmen on

1440-459: The public; over a hundred vehicles were burned, including 56 police vehicles; and almost 150 buildings were damaged, with 28 burned. There were 82 arrests. Reports suggested that up to 5,000 people were involved in the riot. As part of the inquiry the following individuals and groups gave evidence: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Counsel - Mr J Hazan QC and Mr L Marshall Concern),

1480-527: The then leader of the Liberal Party , David Steel , argued that "urgent action" to prevent a drift into lawlessness was necessary. A subsequent debate in March 1982 referenced the events of 1981 and focused on the impact of street violence, crime, decaying urban conditions , and the danger of "more violence to come" if changes in both police tactics and social policy were not swiftly introduced. While both

1520-459: The undefined problem of policing a multi-racial society. In doing so Scarman highlighted what Robert Beckford has termed a "pathological image of Black youth". According to the report: "Without close parental support, with no job to go to, and with few recreational facilities available the young Black person makes his life the streets and the seedy, commercially-run clubs of Brixton. There he meets criminals, who appear to have no difficulty obtaining

1560-435: Was broadly welcomed, accepted and endorsed by politicians, police commissioners, the press and community relations officials. Some of the report's recommendations were implemented. "Hard policing" continued and new measures were taken to create greater public trust and confidence in official institutions. Multi-agency and "soft" policing emerged through community consultation, youth and "race relations" services. However, in 1999,

1600-681: Was repealed by section 10(2) of, and Part I of Schedule 3 to, the Criminal Law Act 1967 . The statute 2 Hen. 5. Stat. 1, of which this chapter was part, was repealed for the Republic of Ireland by section 1 of, and Part 2 of the Schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1983 . Riot is a serious offence for the purposes of Chapter 3 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008. See paragraph 13 of Schedule 5 to

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