If It Wasn't For The Police, There Would Have Been No Riots in Recent Years. Discuss
             "The last centuries riots have a common cause: Police Brutality".
             In the UK, a Riot is defined by the 1986 Public Order Act as 12 or more persons who "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." The result of a riot carries a possibility of a fine and a sentence of up to ten years imprisonment. If however, less than 12 people are present, violence may constitute the lesser offence of Violent Disorder. Throughout the world riots happen for a number of reasons.
             The term 'Police Riot' has became increasingly more common through the late twentieth century, in which the term describes a situation where police in riot gear such as padded knee and elbow protectors, armour, helmets and face shields encounter a group of people for example a protest group which is not engaged in any violent behaviour, but is deemed by the police to be a threat to the community. In an encounter such as this violence often erupts. This violence is provoked by the police by either simple assault, assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem or even death. The term 'police riot' is often used ironically as most citizens expect the police to be keepers of the peace and not inciters of riots.
             The abuse of authority by a police officer who gets themselves into a corrupt act is normally written about on a daily process in any leading newspaper. "A Tukwila Police Officer will serve two days' suspension for firing a beanbag gun – point blank at a man and kicking him in the groin during Seattle's tumultuous World Trade Organisation Conference." Tracy Johnson, Seattle News. Friday 21 January 2000. Then on the 19th February 2004, a FBI report which ha...