The Face of the Mob – English Riots 2011

One kind of mask used by many is that of being a face in the crowd.  Their behaviour changes from that of the individual to that of the group.  The loss of the self to the identity of the mob can lead to serious, and deadly, actions.  This behaviour has been highlighted by the recent rioting throughout England.

The Riots

Introduction

The recent riots appear to have been started by the killing of Mark Duggan by the police in London.  The true nature of this encounter is yet to be established, although the police claim that he was armed with a firearm.  Initial reports were that Mr Duggan had fired upon the police, though this has since been shown to be untrue.  This shooting acted as the spark igniting the tinderbox of social unrest that has been building in Britain throughout the past few years of recession and social struggle.  There had previously been high tension between the Police in London and the lower and working class who live there.

The death of Mark Duggan and some of the reasons behind the rioting are not the primary concern of this article, and as such will not be being discussed in any great detail.  The behaviour of the rioters, however, is the central focus of this discussion.

Timeline – In Brief

• Thursday 4th August 2011
  • Mark Duggan shot dead by police
  • Initial reports suggested Mr Duggan shot at the police, and that a bullet had lodged in a policeman’s radio.
• Saturday 6th August 2011
  • 300 People gather outside a police station in Tottenham demanding “justice” for Mark Duggan and his family.
  • Just over three hours later violence erupts as bottles are thrown at police cars.  Unconfirmed reports suggest this was sparked by an altercation between a police officer and a teenage protester.
  • Violence continues throughout the night, and spirals into looting, vandalism and arson.  Shops such as Vision Express, Argos, and JD Sports are affected.  By the next morning more than 49 “primary” fires.
• Sunday 7th August 2011
  • By lunch time the fires are under control but the fire department are still damping smouldering buildings.
  • Around 6pm riots begin in Enfield.
  • Around the same time three officers are injured in an incident in Brixton.
  • At 7.45pm The Guardian Newspaper announced the bullet in the radio was police issue.
  • Throughout the evening riots continue in Enfield, Oxford Circus, and Brixton.
• Monday 8th August 2011
  • Around 2.30am Scotland Yard announce that the police are dealing with copycat behaviour throughout London.
  • Throughout the night fire fighters continue to battle blazes all over London.
  • During office hours the violence subsides.
  • A little after 5pm fights between youths and the Police break out in Hackney.
  • By the end of the night Brixton, Hackney, Peckham, Lewisham, Clapham, Croydon, & Ealing are all affected by rioting.  Also Rioting has begun to affect the West Midlands.
  • At 10.42pm the Police in Essex and Suffolk announce they have sent officers to London.
  • By the end of the night Rioting has also broken out in Nottingham, leaving around 40 vehicles damaged.
• Tuesday 9th August 2011
  • Just after midnight a Police Station in Birmingham is set alight.
  • At 1am a Panasonic electronics store is looted by hundreds of people in West Ealing without any police intervention, or apparently any police on site.
  • Around 1.30am the Metropolitan Police issue numerous statements about mass rioting and disorder all over London.
  • Major blazes and Rioting continue throughout the night.
  • At 11.06am David Cameron announces a recall of Parliament and a huge increase in Police numbers in London.
  • By 3.24pm 525 people have been arrested for rioting.  At that point 99 of them had been charged, 63 of those for burglary.
  • 5.29pm Independent Police Complaints Commission announce that there is no evidence the handgun found at the scene of Mark Duggan’s death had been fired.
  • At close of the business day Rioting begins in Salford, Manchester, and Manchester City Centre.
  • 10.36pm a Police Station in Nottingham is firebombed by rioters.  In Merseyside a man is arrested on suspicion of stealing a dumper truck and ram-raiding a Post Office.
• Wednesday 10th August 2011
  • 05.37am Two men are killed and one seriously injured (whom later died) in a hit and run incident.  Police launch a murder investigation.
  • 11.15am David Cameron vows to reclaim the streets, and mentions that  use of Water Cannons will be available on 24 hours notice.
  • 2.44pm Alex Salmond announces 250 Police Officers are being sent from Scotland to the Midlands and North of England to combat the Riots.
  • 9.51pm Trevor Ellis is named as a man shot dead during the Croydon Riots.
• Thursday 11th August 2011
  • 01.50am A candle lit vigil for the three men killed in a hit and run in Birmingham is peacefully attended by 250 people.
  • 10.57am Grant Shapps (Housing Minister) announces 100 families have lost their homes to to the violence and fires of the Riots.

By the end of the Riots London, Bristol, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Manchester, Salford, Birkenhead and Liverpool had all seen violence and looting.

A more detailed timeline (the source of this information) can be found on the BBC News Site.

The Uniform

Whilst in any Riot there will be many people each wearing their own unique clothing, the hard core Rioter tends to stick to a sort of uniform.

Dark clothes, a hood or hat, and something to mask the face such as a scarf, bandana, or even a balaclava.  In other words, something to make you look like everyone else, and to make it difficult to identify the Rioter.  Here is an example from an online gallery of Riot images.

It could be argued that by wearing the uniform of a particular group, a person can easier act as one of them.  This would be in much the same way as they are more likely to be perceived by others as being a member of that group due to their appearance and clothing.  Becoming a part of the mob is easier if the individual perceives themselves as a part of that mass.  In dressing a particular way it is easier for that individual to identify themselves as a part of the group.  In identifying with the group, they are more able to take on the identity and behaviour of the group.  In theory anyway.

This can be seen at football games, for example, where someone whom would not usually sing a bigoted song might find themselves singing along to the likes of the Billy Boys, for thousands of others wearing the same uniform are singing it all around them.  This kind of phenomena will be discussed later, as it is of serious importance to this discussion of the Uncanny power of the Mob.

Reasons for the Riots

Many reasons have been put forth for the Riots by varying pundits and experts.  Max Hastings, writing for the Daily Mail, suggested that the Rioters lead futile lives and are seeking distraction.  He stated that:

“Most have no jobs to go to or exams they might pass.  They know no family role models, for most live in homes in which the father is unemployed, or from which he has decamped.

They are illiterate and innumerate, beyond maybe some dexterity with computer games and Blackberries.”

He goes on to refer to them as wild beasts, whom respond only to animal instincts and carnal impulse.  In typical sensationalist style he even went on to compare the Riots to the recent Norway Polar Bear attack.

His article makes no mention of the root causes of this new breed of youth, of this new underclass.  He does however suggest that the welfare state has lead to them not truly suffering from real hunger or want, claiming that the terms are now relative.  Whilst in many cases this may be true, he cannot make such sweeping generalisations without knowing what it means to be a part of that underclass.  He cannot speak for all.

He does make an interesting point though, when he states that:

“Of course it is true that few have jobs, learn anything useful at school, live in decent homes, eat meals at regular hours or feel loyalty to anything beyond their local gang.

This is not, however, because they are victims of mistreatment or neglect.

It is because it is fantastically hard to help such people, young or old, without imposing a measure of compulsion which modern society finds unacceptable.  These kids are what they are because nobody makes them be anything different or better.”

Hastings’ view, shared by many others, is that the problems we now face are due to the lack of discipline felt throughout the formative years of this new generation.  Being able to get away with bullying through to antisocial and criminal behaviour trains kids to disrespect the world and people around them.  It has now gotten to the stage that Hastings believes reproaching a child / youth for any level of antisocial behaviour will bring the adult either a torrent of abuse or flat out assault.  To be honest all that one needs to do is look over the news reports from all over the UK for the past several years to view many horrible examples of this.

In a staggering claim, Hastings makes point that:

“The police, in recent years, have developed a reputation for ignoring yobbery and bullying, or even for taking the yobs’ side against complainants.

“The problem,” said Bill Pitt, the former head of Manchester’s Nuisance Strategy Unit, “is that the law appears to be there to protect the rights of the perpetrator, and does not support the victim.”

Police regularly arrest householders who are deemed to have taken “disproportionate” action to protect themselves and their property from burglars or intruders.  The message goes out that criminals have little to fear from “the feds”.”

It could be argued that Hastings is correct about these points, and that the lawlessness of Britain’s schools and streets has lead to the current state of Rioting.  It is definitely not the only reason behind the Riots, but I would agree that the “do what you want because you can get away with it” culture which Britain seems to have developed over the past few decades has a lot to answer for.

Hastings summed up his article nicely by stating that, “(the Rioters) are products of a culture which gives them so much unconditionally that they are let off learning how to become human beings.”  This is an important observation, which I will be discussing later on in more depth.  It appears to me that many of todays youth function primarily on the level of the Freudian Id.

Various other pundits have put forth their views on the reasons for the Riots.  A good breakdown of them can be found on the BBC News site.  On the whole people seem to be agreed that a mixture of the aforementioned reasons, welfare dependence, lack of father figures and a breakdown of the family unit, spending cuts, and weak policing share the blame.  There are also other factors under discussion.

There are many racist arguments being put forth as the fallout from the Riots continues, such as historian David Starkey’s outlandish claims.  He asserted that the social unrest and Rioting which plagued England occurred because the “whites have become black”.  He made this claim during an episode of Newsnight.  These claims lead to nearly 700 complaints being made to the BBC.  The full clip can be viewed here, and it is worth watching as it highlights some of the racism being put forth in the aftermath.

Whilst it is a more eloquently put argument than that put forth by others, it is still a racist, and false argument.  This kind of racism points out the divide often felt by those of different cultural, ethnic, or socio-political / financial backgrounds.  The isolation will definitely add to a sense of disembodiment from the culture of the country, and could add to the building tensions and civil unrest exploding throughout the country.  In attempting to point out his views on the reasons for the Riots, Starkey has instead illuminated his own attitudes as being a part of the problem.

I cannot personally argue any particular reasons as to why the Riots occurred.  A combination of all the aforementioned factors would seem to make sense.  However, it is not my place to try and work this out anyway.  One thing that I do feel though, is that for all the claims made that it was a politically motivated series of events, I personally believe that the overwhelming majority of Rioters were opportunists.  The death of Mark Duggan may well have acted as the spark that set the powder keg alight, it was greed and lust for carnage which kept fanning the flames.  In a true civil uprising, public buildings, banks, and emergency services would be the primary targets for attack, as the goal of the mob would be either to overthrow or disrupt the ruling party.  Attacks on the infrastructure of a country are the main goals in a coup.

In this case, however, local shops, chemists, PC and electrical stores, opticians, supermarkets, clothing stores, and all manner of other civilian buildings were the focus of the attacks.  The mobs tore apart their shutters, looted them for everything they were worth, and then destroyed and set ablaze the remnants.  Witnesses even reported seeing Rioters stop to try on their “purchases” before wheeling them away in shopping trollies.  This kind of activity would not be engaged in by many of the people involved under normal circumstances, however they have felt entitled, and likely protected, whilst wearing the Mask of the Mob.

One in the Swarm

There are many theories as to why people change the way they behave, and how their behaviour changes when they become part of a large group or mob.  Gustave Le Bon’s Contagion Theory suggests that individuals shirk their personal responsibility and morals and succumb to the contagious whims of the crowd.  He believed that the effect of the crowd was hypnotic, and whilst hidden amongst the crowd they were anonymous, giving them free reign to enact the desires of the group.  A collective loss of responsibility through anonymity.  This strikes me as the perfect example of the Uncanny power of the Mob.  By using it as a Mask, the individual becomes freed from their day to day societal binds, and can engage in behaviour they otherwise wouldn’t dream of.  They can always say “a big boy did it and ran away”, as a child might whilst standing next to a broken window or vase.

In the case of an angry Mob beginning to Riot, this Contagion Theory makes sense.  When there are people swarming together full of pent up rage and some of them break off and begin destructive actions, many might begin to think that “if they are doing it why can’t I?” and head out to smash things themselves.  A similar theory, Convergence Theory, suggests that instead of the crowd influencing the actions of the participants, the crowd itself is made up of participants whom all have a similar agenda.  The crowds swarm together through their commonly held views, intentions, and ideas.  This would make a lot of sense with regards to the Doppelgänger copycat Riots which broke out over the course of the week.  Whilst the initial Riot may have been sparked by a contagious desire for revenge upon the death of Mark Duggan, the copycats amassed together through sheer greed and bloodlust.  The level of planning and communication involved in the later Riots also acts against the Contagion Theory of Le Bon.

Another theory which has been bandied about in the aftermath of the Riots is the Emergent-Norm Theory, created by Ralph Turner and Lewis Killian.  This theory suggests that in a less stable crowd (e.g. one which may Riot) the rules constantly change as individuals in the group shift from being followers to leaders, bystanders, or opponents.  For example, a group of bystanders get caught up in the Riots.  When they see hundreds of people looting the shops without the Police taking action, they feel compelled to join in.  Personally, whilst I can see that there are circumstances where this theory might apply, and it may well help dissect crowd behaviour, I think that this is a cop out.  This theory itself can be used to excuse behaviour which is purely opportunistic.  There were many people on the streets during these Riots, and whilst they may not have been sure how best to act, just because everyone else seemed to be Rioting and looting (the emergent-norm) they felt compelled to stay out of it.  Many people defended themselves and their communities, or simply fled.  The control of a crowd may be strong, but I think people are stronger willed than they are usually given credit for.

People have long used crowds as a way to vent their rage and be destructive.  For example, lynch mobs and hate rallies.  When they get together in large enough groups they feel protected from repercussions, free to engage with a more primal part of themselves.  This I would argue, is the expression of the whims of the Id.  However, not only is the societal control of the Id of the individual let loose, it takes on a mind of its own through the Mob.  Personally, I find this kind of behaviour Uncanny and disturbing.  Humans are pack animals, though whilst we operate in large groups throughout everyday life, it is rare that we witness individuals give themselves over to the hive mind of a Mob.  When we do, it quickly escalates to behaviour from which we would seek to distance both our culture, and our selves.

In years gone by, and indeed in contemporary circumstances in other countries, Mob violence would often allow many people to get away with arson, violence, robbery and murder.  Here in the UK, however, CCTV has put an end to that.  It may seem, whilst surrounded by hundreds of other looters with their hoods up and scarves on, that the individual is protected by their mask.  That anonymity will prevail.  The truth is though, that it is highly unlikely that their image has not been recorded somewhere.  Whilst in the crowd they are still an individual.  They can still be found, and in some cases parents have handed their children over to the Police after reeling in horror at images of their offspring destroying property on the evening news.  The true nature of the human capacity for violence, selfishness and destruction beamed live into homes, to families who would prefer to believe that these things only happen to people far far away.

To be continued…

Written by: Chris Lawton on August 16, 2011.
Last revised by: Chris Lawton on December 30, 2011.