Studies show that incidents of civil unrest have been increasing across the world. Yet, there are also those who are of the view that the police are now more likely to contain and control unrest than ever before. The ‘success’ in this regard can be measured by the ability of the police to not only avoid causing fatal casualties among the protesters, but also within their own ranks.

The urgency to study violent unrests and, more so, how they are (or should be) tackled by the police, intensified in the 1970s after the world witnessed a brutal series of riots in the mid- and late 1960s. A large number of protesters lost their lives in these riots.

Till the 1960s, the most common tactic used by the police was to line up in front of the protesters and, at the slightest provocation, fire rounds of tear gas before charging and smashing into the protesters with batons. The idea was to create fear in the protesters and a sense of dread. This often led to multiple injuries and even deaths. These were ‘bad optics’ as well for an institution that wished to be seen as a legitimate force, out to prevent violence and chaos.

Therefore, during and soon after the 1960s, police in most countries began to be viewed by the media and most people as a symbol of brutality. It began to rapidly lose whatever little sympathy was left for it, as images of cops giving protesters severe thrashings became common on TV and in newspapers.

While police forces across the globe are now better equipped to manage and contain riots without causing casualties, they claim to have become more vulnerable themselves and are still largely perceived as ‘aggressors’ in such........

© Dawn (Magazines)