Riot Tactics and their Origins

How modern riot policing is influenced by ancient history

Police baton charge strikers in Dublin, Bloody Sunday 1913. Photo from RTÉ.

A riot can often resemble a pitched battle to onlookers. Both sides are generally in packed masses and fighting for possession of ground. The resulting spectacle is akin to some form of medieval struggle. Many of the formations and the tactics used in riots have their origins in ancient and medieval warfare.