User:Kkfarwell/Riot control

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My edits are made to provide a comprehensive understanding of riot control. I included two contemporary instances and the questions they pose. Later on, I discuss the controversy of riot control and its tactics.

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Another student is editing the lead which I find to be both comprehensive and sufficient.

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Modern Examples

Black Lives Matter Protests

During the summer of 2020, many Americans protested for Black Lives Matter in the wake of George Floyd's murder. Due to the high volume of protests, police departments were sent to remedy these protests. Police departments often wore riot gear and used both projectiles and irritants to disperse the protesters. These incidents were widely documented through the use of social media. Counter-protesters as well as right wing militia committed violence against the protesters in addition to police departments. Both during and after the protests, there were many pieces of legislation that either were passed or were written to curb these protests. Many questions of the First Amendment including the right to assembly and the right to free speech were then asked. 45 U.S. states had considered this legislation. Concerns were raised by both political parties on the distinction between riots and protests.

Peru Protests

Between 2022 and 2023, several protests against the Congress as well as the president Dina Bolurate erupted. In December of 2022, the government suspended several constitutional rights. These included the right to prevent troops from entering and staying in one's home, the freedom of movement, and the freedom of assembly. The force used against the protesters resulted in at least six hundred injuries and sixty deaths. Spain had traditionally funded the government in past years and continued to do so to provide weaponry and funding to dismantle these protests. The NGO Amnesty International called on Spain to discontinue these exports citing it as "lethal repression."

Controversy

There has been very public controversy when it has come to the tactics of riot control. Many include constitutional rights such as the right to assembly as well as free speech. This form of state violence is also controversial as discussions have emerged regarding the legitimacy as well as the ethics of containing protests.

There are also legitimate health and safety concerns. Some effects of riot agents include irritation, runny nose, chest tightness, coughing as well as swelling. Long term effects include blindness and respiratory failure. Death can also occur instantly due to chemical burns and respiratory failure. Different countries use different methods of riot control. Chloroacetophenone, chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (tear gas) and dibenzoxazepine are common ingredients for riot control. These are highly toxic and cancerous. Countries often have different standards for usage of chemicals like capsaicin (pepper spray) and who is allowed to own and use these chemicals for self-defense. Some scholars have called for natural alternatives to limit long term health effects like those found in the Capsicum genus and the Zingiber genus .

References

Chaudhary MJ, Richardson J Jr. Violence Against Black Lives Matter Protestors: a Review. Curr Trauma Rep. 2022;8(3):96-104. doi: 10.1007/s40719-022-00228-2. Epub 2022 May 27. PMID: 35669314; PMCID: PMC9136198.

Culver, Kathleen Bartzen, and Douglas M. McLeod. 2023. "“Anti-Riot” or “Anti-Protest” Legislation? Black Lives Matter, News Framing, and the Protest Paradigm" Journalism and Media 4, no. 1: 216-230. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia4010015

"Peruvian Protests." Peruvian protests (2022–2023)#:~:text=Criminalization of protest-,Legality,government to prevent further unrest.

Translated by Content Engine, L. L. C. "Amnesty Calls on Spanish Government to Suspend all Arms and Riot Control Exports to Peru." CE Noticias Financieras, English ed. ed., Feb 16 2023, ProQuest.

"CDC Fact Sheet: Facts About Riot Control Agents."emergency.cdc.gov. 2019-05-16.

"Perspectives and Applications of Natural Products as Civilian Defense Devices." Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society. 1997. Volume 8, issue 1.

Article Draft Final

Article body

Modern Examples

Black Lives Matter Protests

George Floyd was a Black man who was murdered by a Minneapolis Police Officer in May of 2020 during an arrest. Subsequently, many Americans protested for Black Lives Matter. The summer of 2020 oversaw a large number of mass protests for Black Lives Matter to address systemic bias in police departments. Due to the high volume of protests, police departments and sparsely the National Guard were sent to end the long protests. Police departments often wore riot gear and used both projectiles and irritants to disperse the protesters. These incidents were widely documented through the use of social media. Documentation and support for the protests further facilitated the movement. One study, recorded by the National Institute of Health, studied the usage of social media as well as its contributions to the movement's legitimacy. Counter-protesters as well as right wing militia committed violence against the protesters in addition to police departments. Instead of irritants or other standardized tools for riot control, these counter-protesters often used more violent techniques such as ramming into protesters with their cars. Data supports that Black Lives Matter protests in particular were faced with much more state intervention. Suppression techniques that were used by both the state and right wing counter-protesters resulted in injury and death. Both during and after the protests, there were many pieces of legislation that either were passed or were written to curb these protests. Law makers and the public questioned riot control and its violations of the First Amendment including the right to assembly and the right to free speech. 45 U.S. states had considered this legislation. Concerns were raised by both political parties on the distinction between riots and protests.

Peru Protests

Between 2022 and 2023, several protests in Peru erupted who were against the Congress and President Dina Bolurate. In December of 2022, the government suspended several constitutional rights. These included the right to prevent troops from entering and staying in one's home, the freedom of movement, and the freedom of assembly. The force used against the protesters resulted in at least six hundred injuries and sixty deaths. Spain had traditionally funded the government in past years and continued to do so to provide weaponry and funding to dismantle these protests. The NGO Amnesty International called on Spain to discontinue these exports citing it as "lethal repression." The security forces came in with assault weapons and in one incident opened fire on protesters. Amnesty International interpreted that the President should be held criminally responsible for the deaths and injuries that the protesters had sustained.

Consequences

There has been public controversy when it has come to the tactics of riot control. Moral and legal questions have emerged regarding constitutional rights such as the right to assembly as well as free speech. This form of state violence is also controversial as discussions have emerged regarding the legitimacy as well as the ethics of containing protests. There are discussions on the implications of the perceived military-civilian split. For example, the United States regards its police as civilians. However, the ambiguity of the laws allows for the police to act as military in conflicts with U.S. citizens which has typically been seen as legitimate or at least legal.

There are also legitimate health and safety concerns. Some effects of riot agents include irritation, runny nose, chest tightness, coughing as well as swelling. Long term effects include blindness and respiratory failure. Death can also occur instantly due to chemical burns and respiratory failure. Different countries use different methods of riot control. Chloroacetophenone, chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (tear gas) and dibenzoxazepine are common ingredients for riot control. These are highly toxic and cancerous. Countries often have different standards for usage of chemicals like capsaicin (pepper spray) and who is allowed to own and use these chemicals for self-defense. Some scholars have called for natural alternatives to limit long term health effects like those found in the Capsicum genus and the Zingiber genus .

References

Chaudhary MJ, Richardson J Jr. Violence Against Black Lives Matter Protestors: a Review. Curr Trauma Rep. 2022;8(3):96-104. doi: 10.1007/s40719-022-00228-2. Epub 2022 May 27. PMID: 35669314; PMCID: PMC9136198.

Culver, Kathleen Bartzen, and Douglas M. McLeod. 2023. "“Anti-Riot” or “Anti-Protest” Legislation? Black Lives Matter, News Framing, and the Protest Paradigm" Journalism and Media 4, no. 1: 216-230. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia4010015

"Peruvian Protests." Peruvian protests (2022–2023)#:~:text=Criminalization of protest-,Legality,government to prevent further unrest.

Translated by Content Engine, L. L. C. "Amnesty Calls on Spanish Government to Suspend all Arms and Riot Control Exports to Peru." CE Noticias Financieras, English ed. ed., Feb 16 2023, ProQuest.

"CDC Fact Sheet: Facts About Riot Control Agents."emergency.cdc.gov. 2019-05-16.

"Perspectives and Applications of Natural Products as Civilian Defense Devices." Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society. 1997. Volume 8, issue 1.

Chang, Ho-Chun Herbert; Richardson, Allissa; Ferrara, Emilio (2022-12-07). "#JusticeforGeorgeFloyd: How Instagram facilitated the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests". PLOS ONE. 17 (12): e0277864. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0277864. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 9728865. PMID 36476759.