Why is rioting happening

Steinhauser wsj. Why was Jacob Zuma arrested? To Read the Full Story. Subscribe Sign In. Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership. Resume Subscription We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. Sugrue agreed. Similarly, in Los Angeles, the riots led the Los Angeles Police Department to implement reforms that put more emphasis on community policing and diversity. The reforms appear to have worked, to some extent: Surveys from the Los Angeles Times found approval of the LAPD rose from 40 percent in to 77 percent in — although approval among Hispanic and black residents was lower, at 76 percent and 68 percent respectively.

It's hard to say, but these types of changes might have prevented more riots over policing issues in Los Angeles. In the immediate aftermath, riots can scare away investment and business from riot-torn communities. This is something that remains an issue in West Baltimore, where some buildings are still scarred by the riots. In the long term, they can also motivate draconian policy changes that emphasize law and order above all else.

The "tough on crime" policies enacted in the s through s are mostly attributed to urban decay brought on by suburbanization, a general rise in crime, and increasing drug use, but Thompson and Sugrue argued that the backlash to the s riots was also partly to blame. The "tough on crime" policies pushed a considerably harsher approach in the criminal justice system, with a goal of deterring crime with the threat of punishment.

Police were evaluated far more on how many arrests they carried out, even for petty crimes like loitering. Sentences for many crimes dramatically increased. As a result, levels of incarceration skyrocketed in the US, with black men at far greater risk of being jailed or imprisoned than other segments of the population.

The irony is that many of these "tough on crime" policies led to the current distrust of police in cities like Baltimore, as David Simon, creator of The Wire and former Baltimore crime reporter, explained to the Bill Keller at the Marshall Project :. And they say, man, this guy had 80 arrests last month, and this other guy's only got one. Who do you think gets made sergeant? And then who trains the next generation of cops in how not to do police work?

I've just described for you the culture of the Baltimore police department amid the deluge of the drug war, where actual investigation goes unrewarded and where rounding up bodies for street dealing, drug possession, loitering such — the easiest and most self-evident arrests a cop can make — is nonetheless the path to enlightenment and promotion and some additional pay. So by viewing riots as criminal acts instead of legitimate political displays of anger at systemic failures, the politicians of the s, '80s, and '90s pushed some policies that actually fostered further anger toward police — even as other, positive reforms were simultaneously spurred by urban uprisings.

By misunderstanding the purpose of the riots, public officials made events like them more likely. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding.

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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Riots are destructive, dangerous, and scary — but can lead to serious social reforms. Share this story Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share All sharing options Share All sharing options for: Riots are destructive, dangerous, and scary — but can lead to serious social reforms. Silvia M. James Baldwin. Who is looting whom? Grabbing off the TV set? Kent Bausman, PhD.

Premeditation does not usually play a role in riots. However, riots can escalate rather quickly due to the inherent nature of a group setting. Simultaneously, the rioting crowd gives the individual a sense of anonymity regarding their own social deviance.

Individuals are unlikely to light police cars on fire when alone. Riots can also very easily result from decades-long attempts to create change, to little or no avail. For many, it becomes a last-ditch effort to be heard.

According to a article in Housing, Theory, and Society , urban riots typically occur in areas where individuals are marginalized socially, economically, and politically. Riots offer many appealing incentives to those who lack institutional legitimacy, who experience justified resentment against the police, and lack opportunities for education or work, among other prominent factors.

Individuals feel compelled to participate in riots when they appear justified, risk-free, and thrilling, which is why they can often occur at mass protests following an event that sparked outrage. Although riots can be highly problematic and dangerous in the short term, Bausman says they often bring necessary attention and sometimes change to matters of social injustice in the long term.

The media is notorious for painting a one-sided, biased picture, especially when it comes to riots. For example, when an outlet only shows a protestor throwing a rock at a police officer, it negates the intentions of the protest and the events leading up to that moment.

Without such understanding, we address only the outcome of a riot, not the source of it. Rather than questioning whether statues of historical figures should be removed , we need to consider why society has chosen to amplify the voices of individuals who enslaved and perpetuated the oppression of thousands of Americans. While riots may cause chaos and may not directly or immediately produce social change, they have the power to initiate much-needed conversations around societal problems.

Capitol building that disrupted the certification of the presidential election. BANGKOK AP — Thai riot police on Saturday fired water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets to repel a crowd of several hundred young anti-government protesters who marched on an army base where Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has his residence to demand his resignation.

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