London riots

[Satay Sue]

It is! Security Bureau - Outbound Travel Alert - Information

Actually was just moaning to my sister in London about this - apparently there was trouble at Oxford Circus too. Have no idea why this wasn't on the list....

[Football16]

Quote Originally Posted by Watercooler View Post
But getting back to topic, can anyone compare the kind of riot/crowd control techniques in the UK with US or Canada? I wonder what would happen if the UK applied US-style riot control, or if the US applied UK-style crowd control...

Difficult to say. The US hardly ever has any riots.

Another thing the Brits should take comfort in is that this type of thing is fairly rare in the UK - whereas in France at least, summer rioting is practically the national sport.

You kidding again Freetrader?

Just a few of our favourites for the size, severity and time to quell them. Riots are everywhere. Just needs a catalyst.

These are just the bad ones:
Cincinnati, Ohio 2001
Seattle 1999 - massive riots.
LA 92 - Rodney King fiasco
NYC 1977 - dont recall that issue.
Chicago '68 - Democratic convention
Detroit '67 Motor city burning... great song bad riot.
Newark, NJ, '67.
Watts '65

Watercannon is used in Germany for years and years.

US and Canada line up in the same policing formations as UK and with the same strategies and equipment (minus guns, tear gas, tasers,pepper spray and rubber bullets - guns no good in riots unless with rubber bullets and even that is dangerous and has repercussions later as all this is filmed and police fear charges.

The US used to use water cannons now they just make them and export as they fell into disrepute after the '60s there. I think all western countries should rethink them as all cities are vulnerable these days.

UK said they used armoured vehicles but I don't know what that is and did not see it on the news.


The UK problem is severely compounded by the tactics of these hoodlums. It is not in one location and with incidents breaking out all over it seems that standard police riot control tactics go right out the window as the police are not in position - can't make arrests and just drive the crowd down the street to vandalize and loot elsewhere.

The UK formations look similar to North America but no tear gas was in evidence leading me to believe they don't use it (But all that is very controversial as we know after every riot).

Modern police are in situations where every hit is being filmed and if they use excessive force that officer can be charged and their careers are at risk. This is making some police a bit leery of whacking a rioter too hard.

[hullexile]

Once the world's greatest superpower, and now...well there is no need for words. The images on TV are sickening. It's all quite sad really.

The US in 50 years.

[Char Siu King]

Difficult to say. The US hardly ever has any riots.

Another thing the Brits should take comfort in is that this type of thing is fairly rare in the UK - whereas in France at least, summer rioting is practically the national sport.

This is true, the US hardly ever has any riots. But when riots do take place in the US they are hardcore. The Watts riots of '65 come to mind. And in '92 something like 50 people died in L.A. over the Rodney King uprising, and thousands injured. That's full on war, not a cute little uprising which they so often enjoy in France in between scoffing croissants and wine, napping, and smoking Gitanes.

[Satay Sue]

Modern police are in situations where every hit is being filmed and if they use excessive force that officer can be charged and their careers are at risk. This is making some police a bit leery of whacking a rioter too hard.

Especially so soon after the G20 incident
Tomlinson police officer to face manslaughter trial | UK news | The Guardian

[hullexile]

It's summer, it was hot, riots in London. I remember it from summers before.

[Char Siu King]

You kidding again Freetrader?

Just a few of our favourites for the size, severity and time to quell them. Riots are everywhere. Just needs a catalyst.

These are just the bad ones:
Cincinnati, Ohio 2001
Seattle 1999 - massive riots.
LA 92 - Rodney King fiasco
NYC 1977 - dont recall that issue.
Chicago '68 - Democratic convention
Detroit '67 Motor city burning... great song bad riot.
Newark, NJ, '67.
Watts '65

.

Nice post. That's a hell of a lot more than I realized. Learn something new every day. All I could think of was Watts and Rodney King.

[drumbrake]

It's summer, it was hot, riots in London. I remember it from summers before.

Not very hot recently: BBC Weather | London warm and drizzle forecast.

[hullexile]

Here, from dear Wiki, is a list of riots in London.

List of riots in London - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I like the one over a wrestling match!

[hullexile]

Not very hot recently: BBC Weather | London warm and drizzle forecast.

It reached 30 degrees last week.