Riot police are police who are organized, deployed, trained or equipped to confront crowds , protests or riots .
56-1046: Riot police may be regular police officers who act in the role of riot police in particular situations, or they may be separate units organized within or in parallel to regular police forces. Riot police are used in a variety of different situations and purposes. They may be employed to control riots as their name suggests, to disperse or control crowds , to maintain public order or discourage criminality , or to protect people or property. The militarization of modern police has brought militaristic riot gear and new technologies that allow for their duties to expand above normal police duties. Riot police often use special equipment called riot gear to help protect themselves and for offensive use in riot control. Riot gear typically includes personal armor , batons , riot shields , and riot helmets . Many riot police teams also deploy specialized non-lethal weapons, such as: pepper spray , tear gas , riot guns , rubber bullets , stun grenades , water cannons , and Long Range Acoustic Devices . Through
112-460: A Chinese military product manufacturer. In the United States, the federal 1033 program allows for police departments, including riot police units, to request military equipment for circumstances that have arrived or that may arrive in the future. Because of this program, police militarization has expanded across each state allowing state riot police to receive military style gear similar to that of
168-520: A crusade to increase private profit at the expense of all other considerations, including the well-being and quality of life of the mass of the world's people," says Ronnie Hall, trade campaigner at Friends of the Earth International. "It seems to have a relentless drive to extend its power." On November 16, two weeks before the conference, President Bill Clinton issued Executive Order 13141—Environmental Review of Trade Agreements, which committed
224-516: A major clash took place on Broadway in the vicinity of Denny Way, involving rocks, bottles, and police concussion grenades. It did not involve a black bloc, but appears to have included local residents, although it is known that many local residents were treated as protesters, even being teargassed, despite having no part in the protests. Police called in from other cities mistook the typically crowded streets of Capitol Hill as groups of protesters. More than 500 people were jailed on Wednesday. Throughout
280-433: A new era of Venezuelan riot police gear with military vehicles that included features like tear gas launchers and water cannons . The military vehicles were used as perimeter defense lines to contain the protests, and provide the riot police with enough power to inhibit the advancing violence. These military vehicles used by riot police around the world are commonly sourced from military product companies including Norinco ,
336-475: A number of protesters still controlled the intersections using lockdown formations. That morning, the King County Sheriff's Office and Seattle Police Department fired pepper spray , tear gas canisters, and stun grenades at protesters at several intersections in an attempt to reopen the blocked streets and allow as many WTO delegates as possible through the blockade. At 6th Avenue and Union Street,
392-479: A potentially lethal and dangerous situation. In the George Floyd protests of 2020, riot police used pepper spray, police projectiles, tear gas, among other riot gear resulting in numerous protestor injuries. When police escalate the use of force and arrests are made, studies have shown that the results often create more violence. The use of force, sometimes deadly force, is the point of interest for many protests around
448-455: A state of emergency, imposed a curfew , and a 50-block "no-protest zone." Overnight, the governor of Washington , Gary Locke , called in two battalions of Army National Guardsmen , other law enforcement agencies sent support, and before daylight on Wednesday, troops and officers lined the perimeter of the no-protest zone. Police surrounded and arrested several groups of would-be protesters (and more than one bystander). Beginning at 21:00,
504-432: A student march from the north, a march of citizens of the developing world who marched in from the south and, beginning around 09:00, militant anarchists (in a formation known as a black bloc ) marching down Pike Street from 6th Avenue, blockading the streets with newspaper boxes and smashing windows. Some demonstrators held rallies, others held teach-ins and at least one group staged an early-morning street party. Meanwhile,
560-471: A subsequent communique, they listed the particular corporations targeted, which they considered to have committed corporate crime. On July 12, the Financial Times reported that the latest United Nations Human Development report advocated "principles of performance for multinationals on labour standards, fair trade and environmental protection ... needed to counter the negative effects of globalisation on
616-764: A total of $ 250,000. On January 30, 2007, a federal jury found that the city had violated protesters' Fourth Amendment constitutional rights by arresting them without probable cause or evidence. Inspired by these protests, a similar one occurred in Prague in September 2000. Around 12,000 activists gathered to protest during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank summit on September 27, 2000. DeLuca, Kevin Michael; Peeples, Jennifer (June 2002). "From Public Sphere to Public Screen: Democracy, Activism, and
SECTION 10
#1732858969204672-617: Is decided on by the presiding government. In Poland, for example, riot police are used in a variety of different ways including but not limited to: The United States has a long history of riot police being used in public events. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement and anti-war protests resulted in many instances of large protests across the country. In some cases, these protests would involve clashes between protestors and riot police. The riot police, at this time, did not have as advanced gear and technology, which forced
728-495: Is evident from radio communication and from their inflated crowd estimates, which exceed the numbers shown on news videotapes. ARC investigators found the rumors of "Molotov cocktails" and sale of flammables from a supermarket had no basis in fact. But, rumors were important in contributing to the police sense of being besieged and in considerable danger. An article in the magazine The Nation disputed that Molotov cocktails have ever been thrown at an antiglobalization protest within
784-538: The AFL–CIO ), student groups, religion-based groups ( Jubilee 2000 ), and anarchists (some of whom formed a black bloc ). The protests also drew support from some political conservatives, such as American presidential candidate and commentator Pat Buchanan . The coalition was loose, with some opponent groups focused on opposition to WTO policies (especially those related to free trade ), with others motivated by prolabor, anticapitalist , or environmental agendas. Many of
840-756: The Battle of Seattle , were a series of anti-globalization protests surrounding the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 , when members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle , Washington on November 30, 1999. The Conference was to be the launch of a new millennial round of trade negotiations. The negotiations were quickly overshadowed by massive street protests outside
896-723: The Special Weapons and Tactics teams. The police departments that received 1033 program funding are primarily smaller police departments. Riot gear became the key tools for police forces to combat large demonstrations, including political and economic protests and labor demonstrations, that sought change without the explicit consent of the presiding government. Riot police are tasked with police operations that require advanced tactics and equipment to control crowds and maintain public order. These duties may differ between riot police organizations in different countries, but they are often similar in that they are tasked with maintaining order that
952-524: The World Trade Organization protests in Seattle disrupted the negotiated management tactics by riot police. The WTO protests went on for days with continuous clashes between protestors and police with tear gas , concussion grenades and riot shields. In August 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American eighteen-year-old, was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri. Protests began immediately following
1008-704: The 1900s and into the 2000s, riot gear technology has advanced with the help of the militarization of riot police organizations. Some riot gear technology, including tear gas , was originally created for its use in the military, specifically the First World War. In the United States in 1969, it was recorded that the riot police had extensive militarized gear including bulletproof vests, multiple-purpose grenades, water cannons , helicopters, batons , radio communication, barbed wire, police shields, and riot vehicles. In 2017, economic and political protests in Venezuela brought upon
1064-456: The 1999 WTO convention in Seattle threw Molotov cocktails at police. Two days later, The New York Times printed a correction saying that the protest was mostly peaceful and no protesters were accused of throwing objects at delegates or the police, but the original error persisted in later accounts in the mainstream media. The Seattle City Council also dispelled these rumors with its own investigation findings: The level of panic among police
1120-784: The Boeing story attributed it to Joe Hill (a union organizer who had been executed by firing squad in Utah in 1915). On the same day, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development reported: developing countries have remained steadfast in their demand that developed countries honour Uruguay Round commitments before moving forward full force with new trade negotiations. Specifically, developing countries are concerned over developed countries' compliance with agreements on market access for textiles, their use of antidumping measures against developing countries' exports, and over-implementation of
1176-663: The Missouri Governor's call for National Guard assistance until the protests continuously diminished. In 2016, protests by groups of indigenous people, including the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, protested the building of the 1,200 mile Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Large groups of protestors blockaded the construction zones for the pipeline, which prohibited the ability for the DAPL to further expand. Private security were
SECTION 20
#17328589692041232-499: The NGOs represented at the protests came with credentials to participate in the official meetings, while also planning various educational and press events. The AFL–CIO, with cooperation from its member unions, organized a large permitted rally and march from Seattle Center to downtown . However, others were more interested in taking direct action , including both civil disobedience and acts of vandalism and property destruction to disrupt
1288-552: The US. Though media coverage of the Battle in Seattle condemned the violence of some of the protesters, the nature of this violence has been justified by some people. Specifically, the violence employed was not person-to-person violence, but "acts directed toward property, not people." Though many still denounced the violent tactics used by protesters of the 1999 WTO meeting in Seattle, this violence clearly resulted in increased media coverage of
1344-683: The United States to a policy of "assessment and consideration of the environmental impacts of trade agreements" and stated, "Trade agreements should contribute to the broader goal of sustainable development." Activists staged a spoof of Seattle daily newspaper the Post-Intelligencer on Wednesday November 24, inserting thousands of hoax editions of a four-page front-page wrap-around into piles of newspapers awaiting distribution to hundreds of street boxes and retail outlets. The spoof front-page stories were "Boeing to move overseas" (to Indonesia) and "Clinton pledges help for poorest nations". The byline on
1400-425: The United States. The recent trend in police militarization across the globe, especially the United States, has brought upon direct criticism from police abolitionist groups. Police abolitionist movements have called for the defunding and replacement of police forces in favor of social programs that support quality of life in people, thus reducing the need for people to commit crimes. Riot police are considered under
1456-521: The WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). On the morning of Tuesday, November 30, 1999, the DAN's plan was put into effect. Several hundred activists arrived in the deserted streets near the convention center and began to take control of key intersections. Over the next few hours, a number of marchers began to converge on the area from different directions. These included
1512-469: The WTO and appeared to side with the organizers of the rapidly developing storm of protest: The way it has used [its] powers is leading to a growing suspicion that its initials should really stand for World Take Over. In a series of rulings it has struck down measures to help the world's poor, protect the environment, and safeguard health in the interests of private—usually American—companies. "The WTO seems to be on
1568-480: The WTO, the International Monetary Fund , and the World Bank . Planning for the actions began months in advance and included local, national, and international organizations. Among the most notable participants were national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as Global Exchange (especially those concerned with labor issues, the environment, and consumer protection), labor unions (including
1624-607: The WTO. Previous mass demonstrations had taken place in Australia in December 1997, in which newly formed grass-roots organizations blockaded Melbourne, Perth , Sydney, and Darwin city centers. Controversy over the city's response to the protests resulted in the resignation of the police chief of Seattle, Norm Stamper , and arguably played a role in Schell's loss to Greg Nickels in the 2001 mayoral primary election. The massive size of
1680-536: The construction sites. In 2018 and 2019, France experienced massive protests known as the Yellow Vest Protests . The Yellow Vest Protests were primarily in response to rising costs of living, low wages, and vast inequality between higher and lower economic classes. These protests were immediately met with the French riot police. In some areas of Paris, including Place d'Italie, protestors became violent in response to
1736-491: The crowd threw objects back at the police. By late morning, the black bloc had swelled to 200 people and smashed dozens of shops and police cars. This seems to have set off a chain reaction of sorts, with previously nonviolent protesters throwing bottles at police and joining in the vandalism shortly before noon. The police were eventually overwhelmed by the mass of protesters downtown, including many who had chained themselves together and were blocking intersections. Meanwhile,
Riot police - Misplaced Pages Continue
1792-613: The day, police used tear gas to disperse crowds downtown, although a permitted demonstration organized by the Steelworkers Union was held along the waterfront. Protests continued the following days. Thousands demonstrated outside the Seattle Police Department protesting their tactics and arrests of peaceful protestors. President Clinton arrived and attended the conference. On December 3 the conference ended as delegations were unable to reach agreements, partly in response to
1848-450: The different coalitions that aligned in protest were the "teamsters and turtles" – a blue–green alliance consisting of the teamsters (trade unions) and environmentalists. Certain activists, including locals and an additional group of anarchists from Eugene, Oregon (where they had gathered that summer for a music festival), advocated more confrontational tactics, and conducted vandalism of corporate properties in downtown Seattle. In
1904-479: The effects of violence on media coverage, the 2001 WTO meeting in Doha, Qatar, included no reports of violence. As a result, "there was absolutely no TV evening news coverage by the four major networks." This coverage did not center exclusively on the violence. Instead, details of the protesters' message and antiglobalization campaign were included along with the discussions of symbolic violence taking place. DeLuca believes
1960-435: The event. The WTO meeting had an increase in evening news airtime from 10 minutes and 40 seconds on the first day of the meeting to 17 minutes on the first day of violence. In addition, WTO coverage was the lead or second story on CNN , ABC , CBS , and NBC after violence was reported. Two days after the start of violence, the meeting remained the top story on three of the four networks. Though these numbers alone are telling,
2016-497: The first to respond, which escalated the protests and created violent clashes between private security personnel and protestors. Following a federal judge's order to allow construction to continue, riot police arrived on the scene. The riot police arrived with armored military vehicles, helmets, face protectors, kevlar vests , shields, and other standard riot gear. Water cannons , pepper spray , and non-lethal weapons were used to disperse protestors and destroy protestor encampments on
2072-509: The hotels and the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. The protests were nicknamed " N30 ", akin to J18 and similar mobilizations, and were deemed controversial by the media. The large scale of the demonstrations, estimated at no fewer than 40,000 protesters, dwarfed any previous demonstration in the United States against a world meeting of any of the organizations generally associated with economic globalization , such as
2128-440: The late-morning labor-organized rally and march drew tens of thousands; though the intended march route had them turning back before they reached the convention center, some ignored the marshals and joined what had become a chaotic scene downtown. At noon, the opening ceremony at the convention center was officially canceled. It took police much of the afternoon and evening to clear the streets. Seattle mayor Paul Schell declared
2184-514: The media coverage of subsequent demonstrations that did not include violence by protesters shows even more the effect of violence on coverage. For example, the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (WB/ IMF ) meetings in the spring showed a "coverage pattern that was almost the reverse of that in Seattle" and that "suggests the crucial role of violence in garnering time on the public screen." In an even more striking example of
2240-513: The meeting. Several groups were loosely organized together under the Direct Action Network (DAN), with a plan to disrupt the meetings by blocking streets and intersections downtown to prevent delegates from reaching the convention center, where the meeting was to be held. The black bloc was not affiliated with DAN, but was responding to the original call for autonomous resistance actions on November 30 issued by People's Global Action . Of
2296-540: The more stressful jobs in law enforcement. Riot police are frequently placed on the front lines of violent protests and riots, possibly putting each individual police officer's health and safety at risk. Studies, in recent years, have shown a correlation between higher stress levels among police officers leading to lower quality of life ratings. In 2018, a Turkish study, researching the quality of life in riot police, found that riot police are significantly affected by negative mental health. The research found that roughly 50% of
Riot police - Misplaced Pages Continue
2352-539: The other hand, 37% of Cypriot riot police believe that "citizens file complaints against the police for no reason". Riot police in the United States, France, and many other places, have experienced a rise in protests against the police. These protests have been met by riot police with the controversial use of specific militarized riot gear. In the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in North Dakota, riot police used water cannons during freezing temperatures which caused
2408-645: The police categorization for replacement because of the instances of brutality on protestors in mass protests such as the Ferguson Protests . In Cyprus, riot police have come under fire recently for hiding their identities when performing police duties such as crowd control. Cypriot law enforcement has been using helmets and gear to cover their faces and badges in order to remain anonymous when dealing with protests and crowds. Citizens of Cyprus believe that riot police hiding their identities allows them to avoid repercussions for actions they may take during their work. On
2464-485: The police presence. These protestors vandalized private businesses, including banks, and setting fire to police barricades. The riot police responded with standard riot police gear including tear gas , riot batons , and riot shields . In 2023, French police shot and killed a 17-year-old, leading to national protests that required the use of riot police. President Macron , and the French government , repeatedly called to quell
2520-478: The poorest nations". The report itself argued, "An essential aspect of global governance is responsibility to people—to equity, to justice, to enlarging the choices of all". On July 16, Helene Cooper of The Wall Street Journal warned of an impending "massive mobilization against globalization" being planned for the end-of-year Seattle WTO conference. Next day, the London Independent newspaper savaged
2576-518: The practices of corporations that drive so much of America's economy. To many in North American anarchist and radical circles, the Seattle WTO riots, protests, and demonstrations were viewed as a success. Prior to the "Battle of Seattle", almost no mention was made of "antiglobalization" in the US media, while the protests were seen as having forced the media to report on 'why' anybody would oppose
2632-424: The protest added $ 3 million to the city's estimated meeting budget of $ 6 million, partly due to city cleanup and police overtime bills. In addition, the damage to commercial businesses from vandalism and lost sales has been estimated at $ 20 million. On January 16, 2004, the city of Seattle settled with 157 individuals arrested outside of the no-protest zone during the WTO events, agreeing to pay them
2688-402: The protests, disorderly. The riot police utilized riot gear including rifles, riot shields, tear gas, non-lethal weapons, and armored vehicles. After the police officer that shot and killed Michael Brown was identified to the public, the protests reignited with more riot police in helmets, face protectors, gas masks , riot batons, shields, and kevlar vests . The riot place were later supported by
2744-403: The protests. Confrontations with the police continued, albeit at a lower intensity. The primary goal of disrupting the trade talks achieved, some sought the horizons of possibility; it was determined quickly that the necessary ambition to achieve the broader goals of various anarchist factions was not sufficient. The New York Times printed an erroneous article that stated that protesters at
2800-434: The protests. Some Paris suburbs experienced damaged buildings and burning cars on the streets. Throughout France, upwards of 40,000 police officers were dispatched, many of them fitted in riot gear. French riot police used tear gas , riot batons , and riot shields in an attempt to slow down the protests. Approximately 170 police officers were injured during the protests. The riot police occupation has been considered one of
2856-526: The reports his death. The Ferguson Police Department enlisted help from the St. Louis County Police Department to contain the ongoing unrest from the crowd of protestors. The St. Louis County Police Department enacted the county's Code 1000 plan, enabling the department to receive direct assistance from nearby police departments. Riot police from multiple police departments combined in response. For multiple days, these protests were both peaceful and, in some locations of
SECTION 50
#17328589692042912-505: The riot police examined showed clear signs of both anxiety and depression. Furthermore, levels of anger among riot police were high, which was shown in combination with anxiety and depression to lower the quality of life for these officers. It is hypothesized in the research that the lower quality of life indicators could result in more aggressive action by riot police. The research concluded with an argument for developing programs to minimize negative mental health factors in riot police including
2968-524: The riot police to have significant face-to-face violent clashes resulting in injuries and deaths of both protestors and police. The 1980s brought in a new era of riot police that intended to use less face-to-face clashes by using more militarized gear and negotiated management. The use of negotiated management sought to improve the riot police's ability to communicate verbally among police and protestors in an attempt to lower violence, increase periods of calm, and improve public views of protest policing. In 1999,
3024-718: The use of regular mental health screenings. Historically, riot police have been criticized by labor unions and organized strikes. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, labor unions and picketers were subjected to harsh police crackdowns that involved bouts of police brutality to squash the labor movements. Labor historians have argued that riot police became a strong wing of the government in protecting capital. Industrialization brought in more aggressive police response to labor protests to force workers to abandon their efforts. The ramping up of riot police violence in deterring labor organization caused radicalization and politicization among workers and worker organizations throughout much of Canada and
3080-410: The violence served as a dense surface that opened viewers' and readers' minds to a whole new way of thinking about globalization and corporations' operations. That is, not only was this violence contained within the familiar setting of television, and not only did it meet the criteria of being dramatic and emotional enough to warrant air time, but it also shattered preconceived notions of globalization and
3136-544: The world. Riot control Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 764362140 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:42:49 GMT 1999 Seattle WTO protests Active Defunct Publications Works The 1999 Seattle WTO protests , sometimes referred to as
#203796